


Under the Influence

by MiscellaneousShenanigans



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 90's Music, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Boys Kissing, Cannabis mention, Clubbing, College Student Eren Yeager, Consensual Sex, DUI, Dancing, F/M, General Shenanigans, Hand Jobs, M/M, Parole Officer!Levi, Roughness, Set in Seattle, So much fucking coffee
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-02-20 02:58:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 67,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2412482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiscellaneousShenanigans/pseuds/MiscellaneousShenanigans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Getting a DUI for smoking pot was bad enough. Add that to serving community service at the library where your hot parole officer is also the head librarian and you have a recipe for disaster. Or is it success? AU set in modern day Seattle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hooked on a feeling

**Author's Note:**

> Essentially this is a gift to [50shadesofsexyereri](http://50shadesofsexyereri.tumblr.com) on tumblr, who came up with the idea. We discussed it and it evolved in to this nonsense. I was going to make this a one-shot, but it got too long so I decided to make it a two-parter. Rating may go up if I decide to smut it up, but for now it's kid-friendly. Enjoy, I guess! Also, this deals with mentions of a DUI. I am not a law major, but I do live in Washington state and I know vaguely how the DUI laws work here. If it's incorrect, feel free to send me a message and I will edit what I can! But please also know this is a work of fiction, so I take some liberties, here.

This was the absolute worst situation.

Of course the one time I decided to drive home after smoking a bowl would be the time I got arrested for a DUI. And of course the moment I get assigned to my probation officer, he decides it's his mission to make my life hell. And of _course_ he's also mildly attractive.

I should probably back up a bit, here.

I'm not a druggie, first off. I imbibe in the occasional after work smoke with my friends, and usually crash there because I have no self control and don't understand the word 'limits.' But for once, I decided I would only smoke one puff, and then be fine to drive the seven blocks home to my own apartment. No problem, unless your friends live on campus and it's a Friday night and cops patrol like wolves, just waiting for their next victim.

This is how I found myself sitting overnight in the city jail downtown at 3:45 a.m. on a Saturday. I had to call my job and tell them I wasn't coming in, leaving a voice mail for my boss. That part was easy. The hard part was calling my sister Mikasa and explaining what happened, and I'm fortunate there were bars between her and I to keep her from killing me. She was a usually calm, collected person, but I have never seen such a fire in her eyes, backed by severe disappointment. For being only 25, I felt like I had hit rock-bottom. I did average in school, maintained my job fairly well and balanced a social life. Now, I would need to rely solely on public transit for a year and hopefully not lose my job. On top of it all, I was to serve community service as part of my punishment in lieu of thousands of dollars of a fine I really couldn't afford.

In hindsight, I was a complete idiot and I will never, ever do this again. But, that brings us back up to speed on my current situation. My parole officer, I guess that's what you'd call him, is named Levi. Grade A asshole material if I've ever met one. He was short, in both attitude and stature, crass and told terrible jokes, most of which I thought were asinine and juvenille. If I had to venture a guess, I'd have to say he was only 5'4" at the most, which was my one victory of being able to look down at him when he tried telling me what to do. He glared at me whenever I would go about my charity work, and he had ridiculously high standards for everything. What a priss.

However like I mentioned, he was also mildly attractive... Ok, he was a lot attractive. How the hell he got his hair that shiny and soft looking was beyond me. It was black and for his age, he didn't have any gray hairs. He was 34, and to me that usually meant you'd have seen enough shit to have at least one gray hair, but oh no, not Levi. Not Mr. Meticulous. I bet he even got manicures.

What an ass.

But despite his poor attitude and prissy demeanor, I knew he meant business. He usually wore button ups with the sleeves rolled up to either show off his really thick forearms or to intimidate me with said arms, I wasn't sure. Either way, I knew you didn't get to be a probation officer by being a pushover, and as much as I wanted to tell him to fuck off when he pointed out a mistake I made, I really didn't want to have stitches from running my mouth.

So, here I was, at the city library, dusting shelves and returning books to their places. Apparently Levi was also the head librarian, of all fucking things. He looked like a thug with his cool grey eyes and stocky build. I wouldn't even be surprised if he had tattoos. That would actually be kind of hot, if you wanted my honest opinion.

Levi made it a point to be as humiliating as possible by making me wear a white bandanna over my hair as I cleaned, which was mortifying. Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary, however the sharp glare he gave me wilted my immediate response of 'fuck no' and I did as he told me. Still, this was not how I wanted to be spending my free time. The community service didn't bother me, as I had brought it upon myself and I was perfectly fine with serving the sentence. It was the constant judgment I felt piercing my back as I worked that was really getting to me. Even though I was allowed to wear ear buds as I worked, I knew he was watching me from his desk, which was situated in the middle of the floor so he could see me from all angles. I wasn't allowed to leave until I asked him, and after he investigated the work I had done that day to make sure it was up to his standards, which it almost never was.

I had been doing this for three weeks, and I still had three weeks to go. Fuck my life.

On this particular day, it was raining, as per usual. In Seattle it rains most of the year, however today was supposed to be sunny. Why I even bothered watching the weather report was beyond me, but this particular day I decided to wear my Vans instead of my ankle boots. First mistake of the day, as when I arrived at the library my shoes were soggy. Second mistake of the day was catching the wrong bus, which meant to get to the library on time, I had to walk six blocks, uphill. I couldn't be late, because that would reflect badly on my report and Levi hated tardiness. It was two minutes before 10:00 a.m. when I stumbled in the library doors, huffing and dripping wet and coming face-to-face with a rather disgruntled Levi, who was pushing a cart full of books.

“You were almost late, Eren. I thought we talked about this.” he clipped, glaring at me over the rim of his glasses as he looked me up and down, which I can't say was entirely unwelcome. But I'm not some kind of weirdo that falls for short, asshole strangers. Nope, not Eren Jaeger. Not at all.

He was only able to look down at me as I was doubled-over trying to catch my breath.

“Sorry... sir. I... caught the wrong bus... had to run...” I huffed out, standing up to brush my soggy hair out of my eyes. Thankfully I had the forethought to wear one of my beanies as I didn't really feel like showering this morning nor brushing my hair. I had thrown on a pair of black skinny jeans and some random band t-shirt, and my teal and white checkered Vans completed my [hipster chic](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_chic/set?id=136709418) look. Levi's nose wrinkled at my disheveled state, but he didn't say anything further than a slight 'tch' as he continued walking with his cart of books. I took that as my being excused to start my tasks, which he always wrote out on a clipboard on his desk. I trudged across the floor, my shoes making a really unpleasant squelching sound which seemed to magnify in volume in such a quiet place. The rain outside created a dull roar on the glass building, which I was fine with as it meant Levi wouldn't really hear my shoes enough to make a snide remark.

Giving my hair another rough ruffling, I dropped my messenger bag beside Levi's chair and picked up the clipboard. It was completely full all the way to the bottom of the page. Piss.

Sighing loudly, I set it back down to retrieve my ear buds from my bag, switching on the Pandora on my phone. Today felt like a [Placebo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye-0bnGp7vw) kind of day; mellow but with a nice beat. Truth be told, [the library](https://www.google.com/search?q=seattle+public+library&newwindow=1&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=6TIyVOqrMcvnigL684DgCg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=612#imgdii=_) was actually a really cool place. The entire building was made of glass, and jutted out over the city street at odd angles. It was best during the rain, in my opinion, as the droplets running down the sides were relaxing. Fitting my ear buds in my ears, the smooth sounds of music filled my ears and I grabbed the clipboard again and walked off in the direction of the book return bin.

I got lost in my tasks, checking them off one-by-one with a pen, my music playing softly as I carried about, occasionally dancing when a good song came on, muttering the words to myself quietly. Apparently I had lost track of time as I felt a tap on my shoulder and I jumped, not expecting it. I whipped my head around, taking an ear bud out and I saw Levi standing there, one hand on his hip, glasses pushed up on his head, rumpling his normally perfect hair. I instantly thought it was cute, but quickly dispelled my thoughts. The rest of his [outfit](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_business/set?id=136709862) screamed inner city business casual with a hipster flair as I noticed we was wearing TOMS today. What a douche. Taking my other ear bud out, I let them hang around my neck.

“Yes, sir? Did you need something?” I asked quietly, reaching in to my pocket to pause the music. I noticed the smallest of smirks on his lips, and I froze. He only did that when he felt he had the upper hand. Levi had been giving me random piss tests since day one, and I just knew he was hoping to catch me with drugs in my system so he could get me in trouble. He was just that big of a dick. I was extremely careful not to do anything that may warrant a negative test, as I really didn't want to violate my agreement with the state, as I got off with only a minor punishment.

It was then I trailed my eyes down to the white paper bag he held in the hand not on his hip. When he noticed me looking, he moved the bag in front of my face.

“Time for a test, Jaeger. You know what to do,” he almost purred, the smug bastard. Taking a piss test wouldn't be so bad under normal circumstances, but due to the nature of my sentence, Levi had to be present to watch me do it. Which meant he had to stare at my business while I did my business. It was always the most embarrassing part of this whole thing. Clean shelves? Fine. Put things away? No problem. Try and take a leak as my semi-hot probation officer stares at my dick? Fuck _that_.

Instantly I felt my face contort in a scowl as I quickly grabbed the bag from his hands, peeking inside at the little jar. Whatever. I wasn't fucking stupid, I knew better than to do anything that might be incriminating. I couldn't smoke or drink, and I wasn't even going to risk a cigarette just in case that was bad. Not even a poppy seed bagel from Starbucks, which was hell because that was my favorite thing there. Sighing, I sent Levi a small glare, which was only met by the slightest widening of his smirk, I gestured widely with my arm in the direction of the bathroom in a sweeping motion, taking off before Levi could start. He preferred I walk in front of him so I didn't try and 'funny business' as he had put it, which is to say I wasn't trying to dodge the test. We used the employee bathroom, as it was a single stall that could lock from the inside.

Unfortunately as I was late, I didn't have time to stop for my usual coffee down the block, so I hoped to whatever god was out there that I could get this over and done with. I walked in to the bathroom, setting the bag down on the back of the toilet as I heard Levi come in behind me and lock the door. Sighing, I removed my hoodie and set it aside before going for my belt and removing it. I didn't turn around to face Levi as this was my absolute least favorite process. I held my arms out up and to the sides as he came up behind me, running his hands down my front and sides, checking for anything that might be considered evidence to the contrary that I was following the rules.

“Pants, Jaeger,” he breathed against the back of my neck, which was both annoying and amusing, as I knew he had to be on his toes to reach that high with his mouth. Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from snickering at the visual, I reached down to let my pants drop to the floor around my feet, once again feeling hyper aware of Levi's presence behind me. He once again patted me down, but in my opinion I felt like he patted way more than was strictly necessary.

I heard a small 'hm' behind me and heard his shoes click on the tile floor as he stepped back.

“Alright, you pass inspection. Now hurry up and take your piss so I can take it to be processed.” he grumbled, leaning back against the door with his arms crossed, his face remaining impassive.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled my pants back up to cover my hips as I would not shuffle the few feet to the toilet in front of Levi. This was mortifying enough. “Yeah, yeah...” I mumbled, reaching in to the bag to fish out the little jar that said sterile all over it. Twisting the lid to break the sticker marking it as sanitary, I heaved a giant breath of air and I did my best to not focus on the fact that Levi was right behind me, staring at me as I fumbled with my boxers to align myself with the little cup.

How had this become my life? I waited impatiently to feel the need to piddle out my misery, and I felt the seconds creep by agonizingly slow. What felt like an hour was probably only one minute. I heard a 'tch' from behind me as I finally, finally felt the urge to go. I could almost cry from the embarrassment and sound of this annoying little cup. I did my business long enough to fill what I needed, and I set it down as I finished the rest of my go in the toilet. I kept my eyes shut for most of it, as if that would magically make Levi go away. Finishing up, I gave myself a little shake and flushed, zipping up my jeans and picking my belt back up off the floor.

I had to wash my hands before putting the lid back on the jar, as Levi would refuse to touch it if I “contaminated” the sterile outside. Drying my hands with a paper towel, I quickly screwed the cap bag on and put the jar back inside the bag, rolling down the top quickly and holding it out to Levi, refusing to look him in the eye. I could almost pretend we didn't have to do this with each other as it was sometimes a week between these sessions, but he had been doing them every 4 days, without fail. And it was quite honestly pissing me off, but I couldn't really argue. As long as I continued to pass, there would be no issues, and I could get this over and done with and hopefully never see Levi again. I memorized his schedule, so if for some god awful reason I needed to specifically come to this branch of the library, I knew I could get way with not seeing him.

He took the bag from me and promptly turned around to unlock the door and step out, waiting for me to step out before he shut off the light. I knew he would be leaving now to take that to wherever the hell weird ass people analyzed piss all day, and it would most likely take him the rest of my shift here to do that. Good, then I wouldn't have to deal with his crap the rest of the day, but that also meant the assistant librarian, an excitable woman named Hanji, would be put in charge of watching me. That alternative wasn't overall very pleasant either, but at least she was really nice and upbeat, much unlike Levi. He constantly griped at her to 'shut the fuck up, you're in a god damn library for fuck's sake.'

Sighing, I shuffled back to my spot on one of the upper floors, looking over the work I had done. Levi liked all the books to be sitting on the edge of the shelf, not pushed to the back. He said it was for the ease of the visitors, but I figured it was because he was so short. Snickering to myself, I checked the time and realized it was about 1:30 p.m. No wonder I was so fucking hungry. In my haste this morning, I didn't get breakfast. Normally I would need to walk down the two block to Starbucks with Levi, but since he had left, that meant I needed to seek out Hanji and have her escort me... Great. 

Grabbing the cart half full of books I had been working on, I dragged it back down the hallway to the elevator I had just ridden up in to go back to the staff room. Hanji worked afternoons and evenings, so she should be here by now. Once the elevator came to my floor, I shoved the cart in and pushed the button for the first floor, leaning against the back wall and letting my head thump back against it as I removed the bandanna I'd been wearing. There were other people that could tend to the library for twenty minutes while Hanji stepped out, and at least for the moment it wasn't raining, but the ominous clouds threatened to open up again soon. No self respecting Seattle resident carried an umbrella. They were for the weak.

The ding of the elevator sounded my arrival, and as the doors opened I heard a squeal and I immediately braced myself for the force that slammed in to my front without fail. And as per usual, it knocked some of my wind away.

"Hanji...!" I gasped, my arms pinned to my sides as I got a face full of tall brown pony-tail.

"Eren, I was coming to find you, actually! Levi instructed me to hang out with you for the rest of the afternoon! Isn't that great? Are you hungry? Need to use the bathroom? Oh! Did Levi mention anything about that giant box of magazines in the back? I had it cleared months ago to order them, but he tends to forget these things and I refuse to let him recycle them all this time," she prattled off immediately, stepping back to let me gasp in a breath. As I said, she was excitable, but I'm pretty sure she meant well... Pretty sure.

"Hanji, no, I don't know about any magazines! I actually just went to the restroom, so-"

"Ohh, so that's where he was going! For a minute I thought he might have finally gotten a lunch date! I've been trying to set him up with some of my friends- boy or girl, you know, he doesn't care which, but he always refuses, saying they're not his type or something-"

"Hanji!" I cut in, louder than I intended as I pulled out of her grip and finally stepped out of the elevator, which had been trying to close on her hips and she either didn't care or didn't notice. Or both. "I actually wanted to go down to Starbucks and get something. I didn't get breakfast this morning, so I'm running on empty. Can I, I mean, can we go, or...?" I gestured vaguely with my right hand, my left hand pulling the cart out of the elevator, finally allowing the doors to close. Hanji smiled widely at me, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet as she clapped her hands together, earning her a few startled glances from nearby guests.

"Right, of course! Let me grab my purse and we can head out! You can just leave the cart at the front desk, nobody will bother it!" she exclaimed, turning and heading off to the staff room before I could reply. Giving a slight shrug, I dragged the cart and set it inside the ring of desks in the middle of the floor and flipped through my phone for a few minutes waiting for Hanji. When she strolled back within what I thought was maybe thirty seconds, she grabbed my arm and started dragging me before I realized what was going on.

"Ah, Hanji, ok, I can walk!" I tripped slightly as I pulled my arm from her iron grip. She only laughed as we exited the front doors, taking a right to go down the few blocks. The rain was still staying off, which was good considering Hanji was [wearing shorts](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=136711712). She didn't seem fazed by the slight breeze blowing through, but she was definitely odd. I flipped through my phone for a few minutes as we walked, but stopped when I felt eyes on me. Slowly, I looked over to Hanji to see her eyeing me in a sideways glance, her mildly deranged expression still stuck on her face. It unnerved me and made me self conscious. I was about to ask if I had something on my face when she spoke up.

"So, Eren~," I was instantly not looking forward to this conversation due to the slight lilt in her voice at the end of my name.

"Yea...?" I asked hesitantly, pocketing my phone once more. We stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the light to change.

"How're you doing? Is Levi giving you a hard time? I told him not to be so harsh on you, it's not like you killed anybody," she said cheerfully as we started across the street as the light changed. Though she was right, I still felt terrible regret for what could have happened. It was only seven blocks, but it was so stupid to think I would be ok to just go. I knew she meant I wasn't a homicidal maniac, but her words put a damper on my already rather sour mood for the day. She suddenly leaned way in to my personal space, and I almost leaned away on instinct. She made a beckoning motion with her finger, indicating for me to listen. "Actually, Eren, between you and I, Levi is actually really impressed with how quickly you adapted to his ridiculous standards for things. He's quite fond of having you around! As he so eloquently put it, 'At least he doesn't have shit over his eyes from having his head up his ass like you, Shitty Glasses.' Isn't that the darnedest thing?! Ha!" Hanji laughed a bit too loudly for my tastes, but this new information brightened my mood considerably.

"Really? He doesn't think I'm useless?" I questioned, a tinge of hope to my voice. She threw her arm around my shoulders, pulling me in for an awkward one-armed side hug as we walked, again stopping at the next block, our destination just right across the street.

"Oh, you're precious; truly! It's too bad Levi always acts like he's constipated or I'm sure he'd share his sentiments with you as well!" She seemed absolutely convinced that Levi was just shy, whereas I was dead certain he was really just a short, ill-tempered asshat.

We were probably both somewhat correct. Finally, _finally_ , we were in front of Starbucks and the smell of coffee punched me in the nose as I opened the door for Hanji and a couple other businessmen behind us. We were dead center in the middle of financial buildings, and this was always a crazy busy Starbucks. However, this was after the usual lunch rush, so it was thinned out a bit. We only had to wait in line for about 5 minutes, Hanji's incessant talking turning to a dull roar as I processed the new information she had shared with me earlier. As shitty as I felt about the entire situation, I could not deny that I found Levi attractive, and if we had met under different circumstances, I'd bet real money on the chance that I'd have him in my bed. Or car. Or couch. Wherever, honestly. Or he'd have me; I really didn't care. I could swing either way. I didn't realize I was lost in my thoughts until I had a cup of liquid joy shoved under my nose, and I blinked before realizing Hanji was handing me... something. Had she ordered for me? Shit.

_Good job, Eren. Way to go. Doofus._

Hanji didn't seem to care one bit that I didn't pay for my coffee, and as I took a sip I realized it was just regular black coffee. Good, I wasn't in the mood for sugary shit today. I just wanted my caffeine. She had also handed me a pumpkin scone. Fucking gross pumpkin shit everywhere this time of year, but hey, free food. I could choke down something over hyped if it was free. I waited by the condiment station of sorts as Hanji proceeded to add about ten packets of sugar to her latte. I liked sweet things, but that was a bit much considering her coffee already came with syrup. 

I didn't dwell on it too much as we were now leaving, and while I relished the slightly bitter flavor of my coffee, I was thankful I only had about two hours left of this shit today and I wouldn't have to deal with Hanji's sugar rush later. We walked back down to the library, Hanji talking about this new series of books she was going to try and get for the library, some anthropology novels or some shit, and I was absolutely not listening. I was zoned in on what she had said earlier about Levi not hating my guts like I originally thought. 

Maybe there was hope for this after all. Maybe at the end of this, Levi and I could possibly be friends, or at least not hate each other's guts. I sipped my coffee as we waited at the cross walk, feeling more optimistic about this whole situation. However, the universe liked to shit on my sunshine as often as possible, and as Hanji and I neared the doors to the library, I noticed Levi waiting outside, an umbrella covering his head, which was dorky, but what really got me was the look on his face. He looked like the cat that got the canary, in his own bored, flippant sort of way. My sense of foreboding increased as he didn't tell Hanji to fuck off when she raced to give him a big hug, and it was then I noticed the folded paper he held in his hand.

"Eren, it's nice that you made such good time coming back. I have something to discuss with you," his tone was like ice, and I was severely irritated but curious. The three of us walked back in to the library as the rain started pouring again.

No matter what Levi had to say, it's not as if this situation could possibly get any worse.

Right?


	2. High on believin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU set in modern day Seattle. Eren gets a DUI for smoking pot, and part of his sentence is to serve community service at the library. His parole officer, Levi, is also the head librarian. He gives Eren random piss tests to make sure he stays clean, and he randomly doesn't pass one and Levi basically black mails him about it, saying he'll pass him if they get to frick-frack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS 12K ALL BY ITSELF I AM FLIPPING MY SHIT. So sorry this is later than anticipated! Life got in the way, as it normally does, but here's part two! Rating goes up for this chapter.

* * *

 

 

"I... You're shitting me."

I was dumbfounded.  _Stunned_ , really. There's no fucking way this was happening, not after I had been so careful. I didn't smoke, drink or even eat poppy seeds! Yet here I was, sitting across from Levi in his office as he stared at me blankly, but I saw something spark in his eyes that set me on edge further. How dare he be so smug, the dick.

The slightly rumpled paper I held in my hands had the incriminating words spread across them like a highlighter, like someone shouting from the rooftops. I had somehow managed to fail my test from last week, and I honestly didn't know what that meant. He must have picked up these results when he dropped off the recent sample from today. I was sincerely hoping I wouldn't have had to see him for the rest of the day, as he seemed to be extra ornery today.

 _Was this technically a violation of my sentence? Was I going back to jail? Fined a million dollars? Shit_.

"Levi, there must be a mistake! I haven't done anything, I've stayed away from touching  _any_ thing!" I was prepared to get on my hands and knees and plead my case if it meant the words on this paper would transform.

I knew my voice was a few octaves higher than I would have liked, but I did my best to use my eyes to try and make Levi wilt. I knew I had perfected my puppy eyes, and they worked on everyone else. I saw one of his eyebrows quirk and I almost felt victorious but he just chose to lean back in his chair, arms resting on top of his head as he glared down his nose at me, his glasses sliding just slightly as he moved. I could see him calculating, his face not giving away his thoughts.

His smug face from earlier had vanished, and I could tell he wasn't playing the part of glorified babysitter anymore, he was playing his part as a hard ass parole officer. We stared at each other for a small eternity before he sighed and leaned forward, removing the cardigan he was wearing over his green button up. I dared not say anything lest I make this worse for myself. He stood after shrugging off the sweater, walking around to the front of his desk, leaning back against it as he began rolling up his sleeves.

I heard rather than felt myself gulp.

"Are you going to beat me up...?" I asked with a slight wince. This made him stop so suddenly, right sleeve partially rolled up, his expression something similar to a gaping fish. It would have been funny if the situation weren't so serious.

"Wha-...  _No!_  Eren, what the fuck do you think my job is? It's to keep you in line, not hand your ass to you. I'll leave that to whatever hipster trash you decide to take home," he all but hissed at me, and his tone made me sit back straight in my chair. Suddenly the air in here was too stuffy and I wanted to get out and go far the fuck away. No matter what I thought of his outward appearance, being put together and  _totally_  my type, he was still intimidating as fuck despite his height. He could end me if he really needed to, I was sure of it. He wore slim fitting clothes, but they always looked painted on over his arms and his torso, which were a lot thicker than I originally thought when I had met him in the courtroom weeks ago. He had been sitting and I didn't get a very good look.

Levi meticulously finished rolling up his sleeves, and they were exactly even as he crossed his arms. I'm sure he was feeling enormous satisfaction from looking down his nose at me, the short butt. I couldn't find it in me to be too angry at him; it wasn't his fault I didn't pass. However, I had been extremely careful whenever I hung out with my friends to not smoke anything, or eat anything that I considered questionable. I once again scanned the page in my hands, slumping forward to rest my arms on my knees. It put me in closer proximity to Levi, but I couldn't be fucked to really care knowing he wasn't going to kick my ass.

"How did I not pass? I haven't done anything..." I muttered, glaring half-assed at the paper in my hands. Levi took the paper from me quickly, adjusting his glasses to scan the fine print.

"Well, it would appear that you had trace amounts of THC in your system. Not enough to be incriminating against your case, but enough that I might have to report it," he stated matter-of-factly, his eyes flicking back to mine. He looked over the rim of his glasses at me, a small sneer curling his upper lip. "You do know you can get this in your system if you're breathing in all that second hand smoke, right? Please tell me you're not as stupid as you look, Eren,"

We stared at each other for about five seconds before my eyes widened and I stood up suddenly enough that it startled Levi to the point he jumped slightly, my fists clenched beside me.

"Cookies!"

"What?!"

"Fucking... It must have been those cookies!" I yelled, not caring that I was in the library. We were in a back office behind a closed door anyways, so it wasn't like I would be disturbing anyone. "I specifically asked if they were normal and Connie told me they were  _fine_ , but he didn't make them; Sasha did! Ugh, damn it!" I was getting increasingly frustrated and I grabbed at the top of my head, fists curling around the fabric of my hat, glaring at the floor and my shoes as if they had somehow personally offended me. Next time I saw those guys, I'd give them a piece of my mind. That is, if I wasn't going to jail.

I whipped my head back up and almost got smacked in the face by Levi's hand, which he had apparently been reaching out to me during my outburst. I was confused until I regained awareness of where I was, and that it was Levi's job to keep me under control and in line. I'm sure he was going to either shove me back down or some other tactic to subdue me.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry! I'm cool, I promise, but... Augh, I was doing so well!" I sighed, flopping back down on to my chair, hands falling limply to the sides. Levi's hand was still partially outstretched, hanging there with a limp wrist like some kind of demented dinosaur. He seemed to realize this as he quickly snatched it back, pushing his glasses up his nose before crossing his arms again.

"Well as you know, these tests are at my discretion, and I do not need to report every single one," he began softly, and my stomach did flips. Was he actually suggesting he'd let this slide? There's no fucking way I would ever be that lucky; not with this hard-ass. Still I leaned forward, eyes widening a fraction as I hung on his every word.

"I will agree that you've been doing quite well. I've had volunteers in here who didn't even know what the fucking Dewey decimal system was, and couldn't tell their ass from their elbow," he continued, scowling at the direction of the door. "But you," he continued, mildly irritated expression focusing on me again as he pushed his glasses up on his head, pushing his bangs out of his face. I could see the muscles in his arm flex as he did so.

_Please stop being hot when I'm having a crisis._

"You just go balls to the wall and half listen to what I say, but you manage to get shit done anyways. So I guess you're not just a degenerate deadbeat like I had initially thought."

 _Wait, back the fuck up. Is he..._ actually _paying me a compliment?_

I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off.

"That's not to say I like you, nor do I trust you," he snipped, and any hopes I had of this blowing in my favor were instantly dashed. I felt myself wilt a bit, and I did my best not to pout. The initial panic had faded, and now I was just feeling a general foreboding.

"However," his tone softened and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The sudden shift in demeanor threw me off and I didn't appreciate it.

"I understand that every day, we're faced with thousands of choices. Which one is the right choice? Which one is wrong?" he asked, but I could tell it was rhetorical. I furrowed my brows, frowning slightly. Where was he going with this?

"I've made so many choices in my life, and I never know which one is correct. But, I can say I do my best to pick the decision I least regret. Eren," he commanded more than said, and I sat up straighter. "You have thus far made extremely pissy choices, which is why you're currently sitting here listening to me preach. Get it straight that I do not always make the best choice and I am not here to tell you I'm better than you. I simply have more experience and base my methods on that experience-"

"You're really talkative today, sir." I cut in before I realized the words were leaving my mouth, my hand slapping over my mouth. I was certain my eyes were wide as saucers as I internally cursed myself.

I saw his brows furrow slightly, though he didn't seem mad I had interrupted.

"What are you talking about? I always talk a lot, you just never listen." It was a simple statement, and I relaxed a little knowing he wasn't going to smack me for sass.

_Why did I keep thinking he was going to hit me?! The fuck, Eren._

"Well, I mean... You're actually talking  _to_  me, not, um..." I struggled a bit, trying to figure out what I wanted to say. "I guess I mean you're not being so aggressive?" I didn't mean it to come out like a question, but I suppose I was testing the waters, here. He stared at me blankly for about ten seconds before I saw the corner of his lips twitch slightly.  _Was he going to smile?!_

"I see," he sighed, amusement lacing his tone as he reached up and removed his glasses, running his other hand through his hair to ruffle it back in place. I aggressively quelled my thoughts of how lovely of an action that was to watch. "Despite what you may have formulated in that thick head of yours, I personally do not believe I'm as much of an asshole as people say," his lips twitched again. "I just have an exceedingly low tolerance for bullshit."

Oh my god, was this really happening? Was he actually being nice to me? I could feel my face getting hot, and I realized I was still wearing my beanie to cover my rat’s nest of hair. I reached up to remove it, my other hand raking fingers through quickly to tame the mess I knew was hiding there. I needed to cool it; as far as I knew, I was still in deep shit. Pocketing my hat, I leaned back in my seat a bit, crossing my arms over my torso.

"Alrighty, then," I started, slowly. I had to approach this cautiously, lest I piss him off again and we go back to this... slave driving relationship we had. "So, you say you don't have to report every single test result in your report,"

He gave a small nod. I licked my lips.

"But, - and no offense, - but I do not believe for a single minute that you would sweep this under the rug so easily because you're feeling 'generous,'" I emphasized by making quotations with my fingers. The response I got was him making a small snorting sound in his throat, but he made a 'shoo'-ing motion with his hand that still held his glasses, egging me on. I reached up to scratch a bit at my ear as I weighed my next words, my nails making small clicks against the gauge in my ear. I was most likely introducing myself to another shit storm that I really didn't need, but what the hell.

"So... Based on what little I know about you, I'm left wondering, sir," I glanced back up and I saw something spark in his eyes, which set me on edge further. I was going to fucking explode from tension and stress by days end, I just knew it.

"... What's the catch?" I finished in a rush of breath I didn't realize I was holding. I immediately regretted my question as he again made a noise in the back of his throat, and I felt my fight-or-flight response kick in when he uncrossed his ankles and set his glasses on the desk behind him. My hands gripped the edge of the chair I sat on, suddenly extremely uncomfortable. Levi's hips swayed as he took the one step to me before bending forward until we were eye level with each other. One of his hands was on the back of my chair and the other on the arm rest.

From this distance I could see the severe dark circles under his eyes and smell whatever cologne he was wearing. It smelled like fucking mint and rain. Where do you even get that kind of smell? Bath & Body Works?! I didn't really have the brain capacity to process that because my face suddenly felt way too hot despite removing my hat and I swallowed rather thickly, mouth feeling like it was full of sand.

Levi hadn't shown any real emotion since day one besides annoyance, so seeing an unreadable expression on his face now was almost terrifying. He looked... smug? Amused? Fuck if I knew. But I was uncomfortable, confused and mildly annoyed. I did not like people in my personal space but my arms were frozen to the point I couldn't push him away.

"Like I said," he purred, and I instantly felt icy. "You're not as dumb as I first though. Let's pretend for a minute that this situation is not happening, hmm?" he hummed lowly, and I was getting increasingly frustrated with both him and myself. The room was way too hot and I was way too interested in Levi leaning over me to be entirely platonic. Damn it. Was this... Was this really happening? Was he trying to piss me off or seduce me? Either way he was succeeding and I felt my ears heat up. I held my breath as he kept his eyes on my own and it was almost hypnotizing.

I jumped when I suddenly felt cold fingers under my chin, tilting my head up slightly. If he couldn't hear the way my heart was thundering in my chest I would be impressed as it felt like it was trying its damnedest to escape. Blood was roaring in my ears and the only other sounds I heard were my heart beat and the lightest ghosting of his breath on my face. I tried swallowing but nerves were setting in and I almost choked on nothing with the effort of it. At this proximity I stole a quick glance over his face and down his neck, which was way thicker than I had initially thought and I could see the way the heavy veins there pulsed.

I should have bolted on my first impulse to do so. I shouldn't have allowed myself to get in this position, trapped under him quite literally. I shouldn't have-... Was that the tip of a tattoo on his collar bone?

I was so fucked.

He could not be hot, muscular and have a tattoo. It was like some kind of bullshit holy trinity that I subconsciously sought out in guys and this was so not going the way I thought my day would go. The fingers that had tilted my chin up suddenly grabbed around my jaw and my eyes instantly flew back up to meet Levi's gaze, which was alight with what I recognized as lust.

Oh,  _shit._

I cannot deal with this; I do not need this right now. The timing is bad, the situation is bad... I need to leave.

As if my levels of panic suddenly peaked, my hands finally moved but they only made it to the arm rests before I felt Levi's other hand grab them both by the wrists in a vice like grip, which made me gasp; that hurt a little, actually. I glared down at my bound hands for a split second before I heard my name being said in a low tone that spoke of warning. Ah, fuck it. The second my eyes moved back up to face Levi, I felt warm, soft lips touch my own and I felt like I had been shocked by electricity. Every thought of escape suddenly fled my brain and if I thought my heart was pounding before, I now felt like it was going to explode and I would die.

"Mmph?!"

I couldn't move; couldn't think. Oh my god, this was happening. Sure I'd thought about this, more than once in the past few weeks, but holy fuck this was way better than I had imagined. Every nerve ending in my body was alight with fire and my hands went limp in Levi's grip, which he promptly released as both his hands now framed my face. Our gazes had been locked; his stormy grey half-lidded and mine wide open in shock. At the feeling of his hands on the sides of my face, though, I slid my eyes closed and reached my hands up to grip loosely on his thick wrists. Fuck it, if he was going to start shit, I was definitely not going to refuse.

He took that as a sign that I wasn't going to run and his head tilted to the side, mine moving in the opposite direction to deepen the kiss. God, if this was the catch that kept my record clean, then fuck me sideways I'd gladly consent to it. Making out with my probation officer in his office? Hell yea. I felt the tip of his tongue probe at the seam of my lips, and I was more than happy to part my lips to allow him entrance. Oh god, this was intoxicating. He tasted like the mocha he had been drinking earlier than Hanji had brought him, and I, maybe a bit too eagerly ran my tongue across his bottom lip as we explored each other’s mouths. This was extremely tense and hurried; there was no time for tentative tender bullshit. I wasn't in to that anyways, and it didn't appear Levi was either. Good. The sounds filling the room were a combination of my heavy breathing, his low rumbling groans and the rather wet sounds of our kiss, which was growing increasingly more aggressive.

I felt a knee press between my legs, and it was then I realized holy fuck, this was actually happening and I was a bit more than aroused by it. The sudden friction made me gasp and I wrenched my mouth away from Levi's, our lips parting with a loud smacking sound. Shudders raced through my body as he pressed a little more firmly with his knee, a smirk planting itself on his shiny, swollen and very red lips. One of his hands reached behind my head and grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling back suddenly as he leaned forward and I felt his lips replace themselves on my neck.

"Ohh, fuck..." I breathed out, my hands reaching to grip his broad shoulders, wrinkling his perfectly pressed shirt. I had zero time to relish the satisfaction of that as he suddenly bit down on the juncture between my neck and shoulder and I heard the most embarrassing whimper slip past my lips. That felt amazing and I involuntarily bucked my hips against the leg that was still firmly pressed between my legs. I heard him laugh lowly in response, and I would have been offended if I wasn't so muddled in my head from the sensations. How long had it been since someone had made me feel like this? Over a year? Shit, I really needed to get out more.

My thoughts were again cut off as I heard and felt the zipper of my hoodie being pulled down. That sound seemed to snap me back to reality as my eyes shot open and I gasped, pushing harshly against Levi's shoulders, which surprisingly made him stumble back a half step though he remained standing in front of me, knee still between my legs and glaring down at the panting, blushing mess I had become. Why did I feel the need to wear such tight fucking pants today? This was agony.

"W-...Wait," I panted, shifting slightly to sit up a bit more. His arms trapped me from moving too much as they had both moved to the back of my chair as I pushed him. "I... This... We need to stop," I frantically tried to control my erratic breathing, and I felt completely ridiculous and vulnerable in this state. I knew if I didn't stop this now, I wasn't going to stop at all and as appealing as that honest and truly was, I really didn't feel like I wanted to do this in an office at the fucking library. No matter how sound proof I thought this room may be, the rest of the building was not, and even the roar of rain on all sides wouldn't be able to mask what was going on in here.

"Hoh?" Levi questioned, softly, and I instantly felt the mood change into something dangerous. His expression wasn't a glare as much as it was... predatory. I felt my stomach drop and I leaned back as far as possible in my chair, as if that would save me. I wasn't afraid, however; I knew this guy could end me if he tried, but as much as I was severely intimidated I wouldn't back down from a challenge. It was a habit that constantly got me in trouble, but I met his gaze with a resolute glare of my own, rising to his challenge. My hands slid from his shoulders to his chest, and I was momentarily surprised by the speed of his heart under my hand. For someone so calm on the outside, I wouldn't also guess he was feeling a rush. Maybe he got off on scare tactics? Sicko, but I couldn't say I was entirely opposed to the idea. As much as I enjoyed a good struggle for dominance, and usually won, I would have no qualms about submitting to this man. Did that make me fucked up? Probably.

I was pulled from my internal struggle by the feel of his hand on my face once more, my chin held between his thumb and forefinger as he held my glare with his own. We were fighting with our eyes, sizing each other up, waiting for the other to blink and admit defeat.

"Not bad, Jaeger," his voice was like silk and I felt goose bumps rise all over my body. I was still painfully hard in my skinny jeans and hearing him talk did absolutely everything and nothing for me. "You have more fight than I originally thought. That's better, as I will not have some wilting pansy. No challenge, no bite." Every word he said was smooth and gravely, and I could tell now that he was doing his best to maintain a level of control over the situation. My eyes stung a bit and began to water at the corners, but I so very badly did not want to look away fist; I didn't want to look down.

I almost blinked when he suddenly leaned way closer to my face, his lips ghosting over mine, and I finally blinked with a shudder as he whispered against my lips, "We're leaving. Now."

All my breath rushed out of me at that, his tone not a request, but a command and with such conviction, how could I possibly argue? Suddenly, he pulled away completely, turning to retrieve his glasses from the desk, and he bent over the desk to get his cardigan from the back of his chair. That was completely unnecessary as I knew he was just doing that to taunt me. I just sat there dumbly for a few seconds, my hands still outstretched slightly in front of me, palms still warm. It was at the sound of Levi clearing his throat that I blinked again and whipped my head to the side to realize he was standing at the door, opening it as he gave me a sharp glare. I quickly stood, hissing at the sudden movement and friction against the stiffy I was sporting in my jeans. Thank fuck they were tight enough that you wouldn't be able to know.

I almost sprinted to the door, Levi closing it sharply behind me as we walked down a short hallway to the main floor once more, and I hastily grabbed my messenger bag from the front desk, ignoring Hanji's cheerful greeting as she spotted me. Levi had walked in to the coat closet outside the office we had previously occupied, and when I met him at the front door, he was sporting a [leather motorcycle jacket](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=136951689).

No. Fucking. Way.

I gaped open mouthed at him and he just smirked in response, tossing me a helmet that I hadn't noticed was in his hand, another helmet in his other hand. Oh my god. What kind of fucked up fairy tale had I woken up to this morning? Hot hipster parole officer, possibly has tattoos and drives a motorcycle? Be still my homo heart, good christ. I followed him outside and straight to a covered bike right in the front. I had seen it every day I was here, but never connected the dots that it would be Levi's. The rain had stopped again, but everything was wet. He quickly removed the cover to reveal a [Suzuki GS500f](http://i413.photobucket.com/albums/pp214/jrenschler2/Suzuki%20GS500F/DSC01902.jpg).

Jesus take the wheel.

I didn't have much time to admire it as Levi has folded the cover and set it under the seat that I hadn't noticed he removed. That took him what, 30 seconds? His glasses were also missing, and I had to wonder if maybe he was only wearing them for aesthetics?

"Are you getting on or not?" he snapped, and it shook me out of my open mouthed staring. I shoved my helmet on, and I fumbled with the strap, but I couldn't figure it out. Levi sighed and stepped over to help me, which was embarrassing. Finally getting our helmets on, Levi swung his leg over the seat, and I did the same, albeit more awkward and less smooth than he did. I'd never been on a bike before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was cut from my musings as he started the engine suddenly, revving it a few times for what I'm sure was dramatic effect.

_Ohh, shit. This was happening._

I could not believe this was happening. Levi looked over his shoulder at me as he slid his visor down, and I did the same. "Hold on if you don't want to die, shitty brat." His voice was slightly muffled, but I nodded and tentatively reached my hands around his torso, not wanting to grab too hard. I heard him sigh and I'm certain he rolled his eyes at me, but I couldn't dwell too much on that as he checked behind him before we were suddenly jolting forward on to the street.

My arms instantly grabbed tighter to him, a small squeak leaving my lips as I faintly heard and felt him laugh. Asshole. I honestly had no idea where we were going, and now was probably not the best time to evaluate my life decisions. We were heading south, towards I-90. Fuck, where did Levi even live? He seemed so meticulous and pristine, it wouldn't surprise me if he lived in some fancy high rise. I snorted at that thought, and relaxed my arms a bit as we came to a stoplight. He turned back to me, flipping up his visor. He had to yell a bit over the sound of the surrounding traffic.

"Get comfortable, brat, it'll be a few minutes before we get there. Crossing 90 at this time of day is a shit fest," he cut off his sentence as the light changed, quickly flipping his visor back down as the cars in front of us moved. I tightened my grip again, his slightly shorter stature making it slightly awkward to get a good grip. I could see over his head as he had to bend down slightly as he drove. The adrenaline I felt as we sped down the road did nothing to quell my nerves. Thankfully I was wearing my hoodie as this would be freezing ass cold without it.

We drove through the city for about ten more minutes until we finally reached the freeway. Thankfully there were carpool lanes and we could get to our destination faster. If I thought it was exhilarating to ride this bike before, I felt my heart leap in to my throat as I heard Levi yell "Hang on!" as he revved the accelerator to merge on to the freeway, cutting across 4 lanes of traffic to do so.

_Hoooly, shit!_

I was certain I would bruise him with my grip, and I leaned forward into his back. I could feel his warmth seeping through his jacket despite the many layers he was wearing. I had done my best to not be too touchy, but I stopped caring as he sped between cars, which I'm sure was not only dangerous but illegal. He didn't seem to give a single fuck and I felt we were in some kind of twisted Fast and Furious movie.

I watched as we sped past cars and other vehicles. We only drove down the freeway for about 7 minutes until I felt us tilt, and I quickly glanced up to see which exit we were taking and I realized we were exiting in Bellevue. Of fucking course he lives in Bellevue, prissy asshole. Levi decelerated on the off-ramp, and the sudden motion forward made me slide in my seat, my still half-hard erection pressing forward and I hoped to god he wouldn't say anything. This was bad enough that I was still excited, and the adrenaline was only fueling my arousal. I didn't bother to scoot back and resolved to just whine softly at the feeling. I could not  _wait_  to not be wearing pants. We drove for about a mile before we finally came to a light and coasted to a stop at the red. Once again, Levi turned back to look at me over his shoulder, and I knew he was just sizing me up. I flipped a thumbs up at him, and I heard a small 'tch' as the light turned green. We turned left into a residential area.

I hoped we were getting closer because between being pressed against Levi's rear and the vibrating of the seat beneath me I'm certain I was a mess. We drove for about another half mile before turning again, passing many houses. I turned and was shocked to see Lake Washington peeking at me between some trees. Holy shit, this was an extremely ritzy area. You had to have boatloads of money to live this close to the water. Suddenly I felt extremely out of place in my relatively scrubby clothing next to Levi's pristine appearance. Why the fuck had he decided that I would be a good conquest? Wasn't this technically blackmail?

At that thought, I felt trepidation. What if I didn't go through with this? Would he report me, and would I be in trouble? I made it a point to at least bring it up; I so very badly wanted Levi, but I only wanted to do this for the right reasons, and those were dubious at best. But I definitely didn't want to feel like I had to do this. I'd be perfectly ok with this being a one-night stand and never speaking of it again. As Levi had said earlier, 'let's pretend this isn't happening.' That led me to believe that this would start and end here.

 _But still_ , I thought as I turned my head to rest the side of my helmet between Levi's shoulders, hugging a little tighter,  _I still would prefer to be doing this not under the guise of blackmail_. Sentimental bullshit, I know. 

This place would be an absolute shit to ride the bus back from, as we had passed the park n' ride when we exited the freeway. That was at least 2 miles away now, and I had no idea where the hell I was. The road suddenly curved, and the view of the lake was now way more opened and I felt my jaw drop; well, as much as it could inside this claustrophobic helmet. The sun was setting and it would have been beautiful if it wasn't still so cloudy, obstructing what I'm sure was an awesome view. I was so lost in my awe that I hadn't realized we were slowing down and turning in to a driveway until the bike leaned suddenly. I didn't see a house until we were going down a small hill that the driveway was situated on, and I saw the roof of what looked to be a really impressive house. Oh, no. Was that... Was that a  _boat dock_  at the bottom of the hill? Shit.

Levi coasted the bike to a stop and waited for a garage to open before edging the bike in. He cut the engine completely as the garage closed, reaching up to remove his helmet. I did the same, fumbling again with the clasp. Levi completely removed his helmet, shaking his head and running his fingers through to take any flyaway strands. He sighed with impatience as he had to help me remove my helmet, the feeling of having my face squished to remove it not entirely pleasant.

"Move, brat," he grunted, and I realized he was pinned on the seat until I moved.

"Oh, sorry!"

I hurried to move, swinging my leg over the seat and he did the same almost immediately. He put both helmets on a shelf on the side of the garage, and I quickly took in the numerous motorcycle parts laying around, though it was by no means messy. Everything on the surrounding shelves was clean and organized, but a sudden light tap to my thigh made me jolt and turn to Levi, who was walking to open a door at the front of the garage which I assumed led in to the house. He was eying me like I was some kind of candy, and I immediately came back to the reason we were here, the feelings and emotions from earlier slamming back in to reality. This was really happening, and I really wondered if it would be so bad to be blackmailed. A more rational, logical part of my brain told me yes, it's terrible. But as soon as I stepped inside the house, I dropped my messenger bag beside the door and my jaw dropped. This place was huge!

What the fuck was Levi doing living here alone? How did he  _afford_  this? I knew there was no way he was doing this on either a state employee or librarian salary. I heard the door behind me click shut, and I took a few steps towards the living room area. We had stepped in to the spotless kitchen which looked like something out of a fucking Ikea catalog. White with stainless steel appliances, a bowl of apples on the island in the middle of the floor, barstools scooted up to the edge of it. God I felt so poor in here. However, I was drawn to the floor to ceiling windows in the living room, curtains drawn back to reveal the stunning view outside. The west side of the house faced the lake, and you could see Mercer Island across the water. It was getting even darker, and I just stood in awe of the house as I heard music start playing from somewhere. Levi must have had one of those fancy sound systems that played through the whole house. Seriously, what the hell? I turned my attention away from the window, looking around the living room. This was also enormous, and a large black leather sectional couch took up most of the space, surrounding a built in entertainment center, which was filled with an assortment of books and DVD's.

The coffee table was a deep ebony wood, a couple food magazines sitting open on the top, writing and highlighter marks taking up some of the text. The living room was separated from the kitchen by a half partition wall, and there were more bar stools sidled up to the counter that hung over the living room carpet. I was speechless as my eyes swept over everything. While the kitchen seemed more sterile, the living room was painted a warm burgundy, with a cream colored carpet and photos of the Seattle skyline on the walls. Suddenly the sconces on the walls flicked to life, and I whipped around to face Levi, who was leaning casually against the wall, the opening to a hallway to his right. His expression looked bored and mildly impatient, and he had one hand on his hip.

"Take off your shoes; I will not have you dragging so much filth in to my house, unless you'd like to scrub the carpet," he barked, and I immediately set a hand against the wall closest to me to stabilize myself as I slid my shoes off; thank goodness these were slip-ons.

"You don't wear socks with those?" Levi asked, and I sent a glare his direction.

"You're one to talk; you're wearing TOMS. There's no way you're wearing socks with those either, so don't give me shit." I snapped back, quite pleased with myself. His expression quickly melted from annoyance to poorly hidden amusement as he, too, reached a hand to stabilize himself and slip off his shoes, and I saw he was wearing ankle socks.  _Really?_  My expression soured at his triumphant look as he bent down to remove his socks, and I turned away with a slight pout.  _Who the fuck seriously wore socks with slip-ons?_  Whatever. I sighed and straightened back up, leaning back against the window behind me. Levi assumed the same pose on the opposite wall, and I could tell he was mocking me. Fine. I glared for a few seconds before I sighed again and ran a hand through my disheveled hair.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, softly, not meeting his gaze.

"You just did, Eren." The way he said my name did things to me that I really didn't want to identify, and I did my best to ignore it. Licking my lips, I kicked a bit at the carpet.

"Why are we here? Are you..." I trailed off, bringing my eyes up to look at him through my bangs. "Are you blackmailing me? If so, I don't really know if I can do this..." I trailed off, looking back at the floor as I felt my face get hot. Could I have sounded any lamer? I froze at the sound of a soft laugh and I heard him unzip his jacket, the sound of fabric rustling as he set it on the back of the couch. I looked up through my fringe and saw him remove his cardigan also, setting that on top of his jacket. He must have put it back on when I had gone to the front desk. His sleeves were still rolled up from earlier, and the soft sounds of his feet padding across the carpet made my head snap up, body tense as he approached me. He was strutting across the living room to me, maintaining eye contact the entire time. This time, I had nowhere to run if things got intense; no easy escape route as I had no idea where I was. That thought was thrilling in a good and bad way.

The music he had turned on was dulled by the sound of blood rushing in my ears once more. Levi was at least a good four or so inches shorter than me, and he had to angle his head back to look up at me, but damn it if he wasn't intimidating as fuck. How was that even possible? I didn't have time to dwell on it as his hands reached out to me, his right gripping my chin and the left resting against the wall to my side. I gulped.

"What do you think, Eren? Do I seem like the type of person that would force you in to something you don't want to do?" he asked, and his voice was at least an octave lower than it had been just a second ago. This was bad because my mind was getting fuzzy and it was getting difficult to think straight.

"N-... No,"  _I cannot_ believe _I fucking just stuttered. What the hell?_  I cleared my throat, arms tightening over my chest as we stared at each other; me with trepidation and him with something I'm sure was amusement at my current state of dishevelment. "No, you don't. I just... What if I say no, at this point? What... will you do?" I all but whispered the last part, and I saw the corners of his eyes crinkle as he narrowed his eyes at me. Without warning, he yanked my face down to his level and my hands flew to my sides to steady myself against the window, eyes widening in surprise. His other hand stayed on the wall beside me and the slight curl of his upper lip was taken as a warning to not ask any more stupid questions. Our faces were a breath apart, and I could feel the ghosting of his warm breath against my lips. It would be all too easy to just lean a bit more, and-

"Nothing," he said coolly, and I blinked. I was momentarily confused until I remembered I had asked him a question.

" _What_...!?" I breathed, and his hand twitched on my face before he let go, but he didn't move away. Instead, he slid his hand down my jawline, tracing the vein on the side of my neck and it felt like he was leaving trails of fire, his eyes following his hand. I clenched my jaw.

"You heard me, brat. If you say no, I will do nothing. We will forget this ever happened and neither of us will speak of it to anybody. However," he continued, and he leaned in just a bit more and I felt his hot breath ghost over the shell of my ear before he bit down lightly on the lobe, his teeth clicking slightly on the gauge in my ear. I bit back a breathy moan at the feeling. "If you say yes, we can continue as we were earlier in my office. No strings attached,"

Oh, fuck me six ways to Sunday. Did that mean he'd drop  _everything_? Not report me? Or did that mean this illicit tryst would be no strings attached and I do this under the condition he not tattle on me? I needed to know, because I felt myself getting hard again, and I really didn't want to stop. Not when we were this close. "Does that mean you won't- ah, fuck!"

I was cut off in my question by the feeling of his leg once again sliding between my legs, rubbing against the stiffness in my pants. I could almost cry from how good that friction felt, and my hands flew to grip his hips and pulled him closer. If he hadn't pushed away my assertive attitude earlier, I was confident he wouldn't start now. I heard the low rumble of his breathy laugh in my ear, and he pulled back to look at me, not even bothering to hide his lust this time. That shot right through me and I felt my hips jerk slightly.

"I said 'no strings attached,' in  _any_  way. Not personally, nor professionally," he said it in such a way that I could tell I had asked a stupid question, but god damn it I didn't want a pity fuck. That was the  _last_  thing I needed to add to my ever growing list of stupid shit in my life. I held my breath as I took a few seconds to really look at his face; his upper lip stuck out more than his bottom lip, and both were rosy and soft. He had severe dark circles, but I felt that it added to his charm. Levi was crass and crude and direct, and I appreciated that he didn't dick around with words. His hair was shiny and I really wanted to run my hands through it, but I was brought back to the present when his right hand once again grabbed my chin, his left hand resting on my hip and he stepped forward so that our legs were intertwined. I groaned at the feeling of it, and felt my face burn when I realized he was also hard. "Do you understand, Eren?"

I licked my lips as my eyes flicked down to his mouth, watching his lips move as he asked. That was the confirmation I had been waiting for; he wouldn't tell on me either way, and I realized he had been bluffing. I was annoyed about it, but not enough that I'd actually raise an argument about it now. This is what I had fantasized about, and it was finally happening. Maybe he had wanted me like I had wanted him? It was definitely plausible, as he had rolled his hips forward in to mine causing us both to groan. I whispered 'yes' and leaned in the last millimeters and captured his lips, once again feeling that spark through my entire body. My eyes slid shut and I heard him moan, the hand he'd had on my face moving back to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair as our bodies pressed together.

I took that as a sign that we were done talking, and bent my knees a little to grind my hips into Levi's, and the feeling made me see stars. I couldn't keep doing this in pants for much longer. This time I led the kiss, and I let my hands slide over Levi's jeans as I bit his lower lip, sweeping my tongue over where I bit.  _God, he has a really nice ass_. What I wouldn't give to actually  _feel_  it-...

 _I'm stupid, what did I think we were_ doing _? Enough of this shit._

I pulled my head back and leaned my lips down to his pale neck, latching on to his pulse point as my hands moved from their position on his ass to start fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. I guess he took that as an invitation because I again heard the sound of my hoodie being unzipped. I moved my arms long enough to shrug it off but my hands instantly flew back to the remaining few buttons of his shirt.  _Shit, was he wearing an undershirt, too?_  I opened my eyes and gave one final harsh suck to his neck, which earned me a very rewarding sigh and I pulled back, watching him shrug off his shirt.

Oh dear sweet baby Jesus. I knew Levi had to be hiding something under his many layers, and the sheer bulk of his arms made me harder, if that was even possible at this point. The raw power I'm sure this guy could wield was probably damn impressive, but what really caught my eye was the black ink snaked over his arms; they looked like feathers, and I felt a small victory for just knowing he had tattoos.

"Are those wings?" I blurted out, and he made a breathy laugh, reaching down to remove the black tank top he had been wearing under his button-up. If I was impressed with that visual before, that was nothing compared to the way I almost drooled over the perfectly sculpted torso hiding under that wife-beater. Instantly my hands were around his waist, my fingers tracing over the muscles and I felt them ripple under my touch. He waited a few seconds for me to explore before his patience wore out, and he impatiently grabbed the bottom of my t-shirt and pulled it over my head before tossing it aside. I saw his eyes rake down my front, and I knew I was not nearly as impressive as he was. I had a 6-pack, but I was also really lazy so it wasn't as defined. But fuck if I was going to start feeling self-conscious now. Too fucking late for that.

"You have a nipple piercing?" he questioned, amused. I nearly forgot about it, but my right nipple had a bar through it. What could I say, I liked piercings and tattoos, though I myself had no tattoos. Yet. Levi's eye met mine for a brief second before he leaned forward, capturing one of my nipples between his lips; the unpierced one. I hissed, hands sliding behind him and once again grabbing his ass, grinding our hips together.

If something didn't change soon, I was going to blow right in my boxers and I would be severely disappointed. I impatiently reached down to the waistband of his pants, fumbling with the buckle of his belt until it came undone. His pants were about as tight as mine, and it's a wonder he hadn't tried to remove them himself. The sounds of our labored breathing filled our immediate space, the music a dull distraction in the background. Another few seconds of fumbling and I got his zipper down, and I jumped when I felt his hands on my own zipper. Shit, hurry up. He bit down on the nipple he had been toying with, and I yelped, one of my hands shooting up to grip the back of his hair. I yanked his head back and I briefly took in his look of surprise before I crashed our lips together again, pushing my tongue into his mouth with more fervor that before. I was beyond done with this teasing bullshit, and I wanted him to know it. Levi seemed to get the message because I felt him make quick work of undoing my pants. His warm palm rubbed my erection through the fabric of my boxers, and my eyes screwed shut, a loud moan sounding from low in my throat. Fine, then.

I repeated his action, palming him through his underwear and he growled, his other hand mimicking my stance of gripping my hair, his nails scratching my scalp and shit that felt amazing. I really like this game of 'one-up,' so I wasted no time in reaching beyond the waistband of his... boxer-briefs? Who cares? Ok, so his dick was thicker than I had anticipated. I managed to wrap my fingers around the width, and Levi threw his head back, his hand faltering between my legs.

"Fuck, Eren...!" he cried, and hot damn if that wasn't the sexiest thing I'd heard all day. I gave a few shallow strokes as I disentangled my other hand from his hair and used it to tug down his pants and underwear, and both of his hands shot down to assist me. Soon he was completely nude in front of me, and I groaned loudly as I shamelessly checked him out. Whatever tattoo he had on his back went down his arms and partially on his sides. I reached up and grabbed his shoulders and with a quickness that even impressed me, I swept my foot under one of his to offset his balance, and I swung us around until I had him pinned to the wall, a gasp of surprise escaping his lips. Even if this was a one-night stand, this was the absolute best candidate I could have ever asked for. He wasn't as quiet as he normally was, and was really responsive to my touches. Perfect. I used my height to my advantage, looming over him as my right hand grabbed his chin like he had done to me previously, angling his head up. His eyes shone with lust and defiance, and I knew he was allowing me this dominance. Whatever.

Leaning in close, I kept my face a couple centimeters from his own as my other hand went back to stroking his cock. Hot  _damn_  that was really thick. I held his stare for a few seconds, both of us panting heavily. His hands fumbled to pull down my pants, and I could tell my touches were unnerving him. He was losing focus and control, and that was completely fine by me. I wasn't going to help him, no matter how desperately I wanted to be free of the confines of my jeans. Finally,  _finally_ , I felt cool air ghost across my own erection and my hand faltered as I felt myself bounce slightly once my underwear was down. I narrowed my eyes, and I didn't even give a fuck anymore if I had a red face. I could tell that what I was doing was effective because Levi had started making small whining noises, his eyes barely open as he stubbornly refused to close them.

"Oh fuck!" I cried out when his hands roughly grabbed my dick, striking up a decently fast paced rhythm. I knew he was trying to get me up to his level of aroused, but I really didn't want to just jerk each other off, as nice as it was as his hand was surprisingly soft. My hand holding his face moved to brace myself against the wall to the side of his head, and we both glared at each other with our lust filled expressions; Levi's face was red, and it was starting to spread down his neck, his lips parted with his heavy breathing. I knew I couldn't be much better. As much as I didn't want to, I knew we needed to move on from this stupid game. "Levi..." I panted, and my voice suddenly breaking the silence between us made him jump slightly.

"Bed... Bedroom," he gasped, and I nodded. I had to let him lead me because I would fucking get lost in this labyrinth of a house. Our lips met again, my arms going around his waist and his around my neck as he walked forwards and I walked backwards. It was awkward, but I didn't really care. The feeling of our dicks touching every few seconds made us both groan and growl. When had I ever felt this much attraction to another person? Ever? Probably not, but I didn't dwell on it as we finally stumbled down the hallway and in to another room. Levi clumsily flicked a switch by the door, and the room was batched in a soft light from wall sconces that were similar to the ones in the living room. I felt the edge of his bed hit the backs of my knees and I sat back, pulling him with me. I severely underestimated his weight, as Levi landing on top of me knocked out some of my wind and I had to gasp in sharply. It wasn't painful, but the shift in position gave Levi enough time to reach over me and rummage in a bedside table. I felt something hit my chest, and I looked down to see a small bottle of lube sitting there. God, this was really happening. Despite my best efforts to live in the moment, it was still surreal to me that I was at Levi's house, about to do or be done by him and at this point I didn't really care which it was. However, this seemed to be answered for me as Levi swung one leg over my hips, kneeling over me.

This was the perfect angle to check him out. One of my hands rested on his hip, the other resuming my earlier stroking. His hands rested on my chest, and I felt his legs quiver as my hand maintained its movement. He was glaring at me, though it held no venom as I could see the blush painting his cheeks, his chest heaving with the effort to catch his breath. One of his hands brushed the bottle resting on my chest, my hand that wasn't occupied with stroking him reaching up to grab it, popping it open with a click. I met his eyes just to confirm that this is how we were doing this, and he just nodded, biting his lip when my thumb swept over the tip of his cock to swipe at some precum.

Fine as fuck with me. My wrist kept bumping my own erection as I stroked his, making sure I didn't grip too hard or go too fast. I removed my hand from my stroking for a few seconds to squeeze a bit of the slippery liquid before capping it and tossing it to the side of the bed that I thought was way too large for someone like Levi, but whatever. I resumed my stroking, Levi hissing at the contact. His hands had splayed themselves on my waist, and his expression was highly erotic. His lips were parted and shiny because he kept licking them, cheeks painted pink and red, hair slightly mussed from where I had grabbed it. He looked absolutely disheveled, and for someone who tried too hard to maintain his balance and appearance, this was a rare treat.

I wasted no more time in reaching back, Levi scooting his hips slightly to give me better access. When he moved, his thigh brushed over my dick and I shouted out his name in a strangled moan, momentarily forgetting my task. Fuck, he could  _not_  do that. He offered no apology and only shuddered at the sound I made. Regaining control of myself, I reached back once more and felt around until I found his entrance. I once again quickly flicked my eyes up to meet his, but his head was lolled to the side, eyes closed as he panted and moaned at my touches. I took that as a go and I slowly pushed one of my fingers inside of him. The sound that found its way out of his throat sounded like a whine and a growl and he impatiently wiggled his hips. I took a few moments to relish the heat that encased my finger, and I could only imagine how fantastic that would feel when he was riding me.

"Eren, hurry the fuck up. I'm not some virginal- _ah!_ "

I cut him off as I hastily added another finger and thrust them inside him, his fingers gripping my hips tight enough to the point I'm sure I'd bruise. I couldn't be fucked to care, though, as I continued gliding my fingers in and out, curling them as best as I could at this angle. Levi was a panting mess, and his moans were becoming more and more erratic. I took that as a cue to stop stroking him, and he all but whimpered at the loss of contact, his eyes peeking open slightly to glare at me but again, it held nothing but lust. He could furrow his eyebrows all he wanted, but I knew I had the upper hand. After a few more strokes inside him, I added a third finger, and he hissed, back arching so he could rut back on to my fingers. This was such a power trip, and I almost felt high on the sensation. I could smell a mix of sweat and Levi's cologne, and it was intoxicating. I growled, curling my fingers sharply, growing impatient prepping him. I was about to pull them completely out when Levi's hands shot up to grip my shoulders, his entire body arching back.

_Ah, there it is._

"Erennn..." His face was so close, and I saw his arms shaking. Shit, I was about to come just from that sight, but I desperately wanted to be buried inside him, and this time I did pull my fingers completely out, a low whine his only protest. I glanced to the side and started reaching for the bedside table to find a condom, but his hand on my wrist stopped me. I snapped my attention back to his face.

"You don't need it," he growled, and I felt my eyebrows shoot up. I mean, I knew I was fine and didn't have anything, and I swear to anything holy and sacred that if I was able to do this bareback then there really must be a god.

"Are you... sure?" I questioned.

"I know you're clean; it was on your papers," he gasped, growing more and more impatient, rolling his hips forward so that our erections ground against each other. I threw my head back into the pillows I had been resting on, both my hands shooting to his hips to still him. I didn't need to be told twice, but I did reach again for the small bottle of lube I had previously tossed aside, dribbling some onto my palm as I again capped it, giving myself a few strokes to make sure I was coated before aligning myself. Fucking hell, I wasn't going to last long at all, and I was certain Levi wasn't either from the state of the flushing that had spread to his shoulders and chest. Biting my lip, I shifted to line myself up with his entrance, Levi smacking my hand away once I had situated myself. Despite him technically being the bottom, he sure was bossy and commanding. I wasn't really complaining though as he, rather quickly, seated himself fully over me.

"Ahhh Levi, holy shit-!" I cried, my hands digging in to the flesh on his hips. Every single one of his muscles were tense as he remained still for a few seconds, his eyes shut and brows furrowed, shallow breaths leaving past his lips.

_Absolutely beautiful._

"Er-... Eren," he panted, eyes opening in slits to look down at me. His head was lolled a bit to the side and he was absolute perfection.

"Are you ok...?" I gasped, completely focused on the blazing heat wrapped around my cock. Shit this was better than anything else I'd ever experienced. I had only done this bareback the couple of times I'd been in committed relationships, but those paled horribly in comparison.

"Idiot," he mumbled, but he braced his hands on my chest as he moved up slowly, bringing himself back down much quicker. We both cried out at that, and I knew I was already so very, very close.

"So tight,  _fuck_ ," My voice was hoarse and throaty, much lower than I knew it usually was. Levi began moving again, trying to establish a rhythm. After a few experimental thrusts, he braced his hands on either side of my head, leaning over me and arching his back. "Oh, wow..." I breathed, reaching a hand up to brush my sweaty bangs off my forehead. I could see small beads of sweat on Levi's forehead as well. We were both doing our best to make this last, but god damn it! I quickly reached down both my hands and grabbed his hips harshly, bucking my own hips up to meet his slow downward thrust with a loud slap of skin that had me almost seeing stars.

"Fuck! Eren!" Levi's voice was going up in pitch the longer we did this. His thighs were trembling, and his erection was dripping precum onto my stomach. I wondered what he tasted like, but I would have to find out at a later time, if later time ever came. Right now, I was focusing on the sounds he was making as he rode me, his hips bobbing up and down in an erratic rhythm, and I did my best to meet his thrusts. I hit his prostate a few times, the way he would nearly squeal in pleasure the telltale sign.

"You're so hot,  _fuck_ ," I ground out. I could only thrust so hard in this position, and I glanced quickly at Levi's face to confirm his eyes were closed before I hooked my foot behind his leg and flipped him over.

"Wha-"

The sudden change of position made him cry out, and I was surprised I didn't slip out on the movement. I hastily placed both of his legs on my shoulders, angling his hips up. I resumed my hold on his hips, using my hold as leverage to begin thrusting roughly into him. I had so much pent up energy and aggression and this was the best way I knew how to let it out. I felt him wrap his arms around my neck, and I had to nearly bend him in half due to our height difference.

"Leviii... you feel so good,"

"Eren, just...Ah-fuckin'- Right there!" Levi's voice was absolutely wrecked, his constant panting and moaning and growling doing a number on his throat. This angle gave me perfect access to his neck and shoulder, and I took full advantage to bite down firmly on the juncture of his shoulder and neck as he had done to me earlier. "Eren!" God, his screams were like music. The vein on his neck was pulsating quickly, and I could hear his heartbeat from this distance... Or maybe it was mine? Either way, it made me growl and in a sudden surge of possession, I bit down harshly on the fleshy part of his muscular shoulder. I tasted the slightest coppery tang of blood, but I felt Levi's nails scrape down my back in response.

"Shit that feels so good!"

I moved my mouth long enough to growl into Levi's ear, and that seemed to set him off more, the scratches on my back like fire. It hurt but it mixed so well with the overwhelming heat around my dick that I really didn't care. Suddenly I felt Levi bite down on my ear again, and my arms snaked underneath him, my own nails digging in to the skin of his back. Fucking  _fuck_. This wasn't going to last much longer. I changed the angle of my thrusts, and I could feel when I hit his prostate.  
  
"Yes! Th-... There! Eren, please..." He was begging. Levi was  _begging_  me, and I felt heat pool in my lower stomach at that. I removed one of my hands from behind him to hastily reach between us and begin stroking him, and a sound almost like a sob slipped out of his swollen lips. Oh,  _yes_. I braced my other hand on his thigh, and he did his best to stay tense with his legs wrapped around my shoulders; I was certain he had crossed his ankles to stay in n place, and the bed was rocking aggressively. Thank god Levi didn't live in an apartment. 

"Are you gonna come for me, Levi?" I asked breathily, my eyes half lidded as I pulled back enough to see his face. I wanted to know what he looked like when he found his release; the release I gave him. God, I was feeling way too possessive over someone that wasn't mine. I quickly tossed aside that notion as I heard his breath hitch, and his eyes widened slightly, his hands racing across my back to find a good grip. "Answer me," I commanded, my other hand lacing through his hair, pulling his head back slightly so that I could latch my lips onto his throat, giving a slight bite and I felt him swallow, his adam's apple bobbing with the effort.

"I-... Yes, I'm gonna-... Eren!" he cried suddenly and with desperation, and I felt and saw his muscles tense as I moved my head back again to watch his gaze. Sweating, blushing, panting and moaning. I would never forget this image.

"Levi," I breathed, feeling my own release fast approaching, but I had to hold off until he finished. I increased the speed of my strokes, and he took a huge gasping breath of air, his hands digging in to my back as I felt his hips jerk upwards, meeting my last couple of thrusts. "Levi!"

"Eren!" he cried as he came, the hot liquid shooting between us and spilling down on to my hand. "Eren... Eren... Oh fuck, oh-... Oh fuck..." I would swear to my grave that he was not half sobbing, but in this moment, his face was completely wrecked. I felt him twitch and constrict around me, and that time I did see stars. Both of my hands wrapped around behind his shoulders to pull him close, our lips crashing together once more as I found my release, giving one last thrust before I buried myself deep inside of him, nestling my face on his shoulder.

"Leviii....-!" I don't think I've ever yelled someone's name as loud as I did then, and I felt absolute bliss. We lay together still for a few seconds, only the sounds of our mixed, shaking and shuddering breathing and low whines filling the room. I don't know how much time had passed but I peeled my forehead away from his sweaty shoulder, letting Levi move his legs off of my shoulders and I pulled out of him with a hiss.

Bracing myself on my forearms, I sat up slightly to look at his face. Levi had let his arms fall from their vice like grip, and I was sure I'd have scars there later but I didn't care. He had his arms above his head, hair spread out haphazardly on the pillow and his face flushed with his brows furrowed and eyes shut and I felt my breath leave me in a rush at the sight. This was the part I always hated; the 'do I clean up my shit and leave' or 'do you wanna cuddle and go to sleep?' I really wanted the second option, but I would accept whichever option was presented to me.

Swallowing thickly, I hesitantly reached a hand up to brush a few strands of hair off of Levi's forehead and his eyes shot open, and he looked way more lucid than I would have thought after such rigorous activity. I didn't move my hand, though, and he fixed me with a calculating stare. I could see the gears turning in his head, and his gaze reminded me of a cat weighing its options before either running or attacking.

"I..." My voice squeaked slightly, and I cleared my throat quickly. He continued to stare at me, both of our breathing going back to normal slowly. "I, um... That was, I mean,"

My eyes searched his; mine uncertain and his unreadable. "You were great." I finished, and it sounded way less smooth audibly than it did in my head and I internally cursed myself for that. Levi only snorted in response, one of his hands coming up to pull my head down, our lips meeting in a much softer manner than before. We had released most of the sexual energy we'd revved up, and this was actually really... nice. We stayed like that for a few seconds, our gazes locked as our lips pressed gently together before he pulled back with a soft sound.

"You weren't bad either, brat." he finally spoke, and I felt all the tension that had gathered leave me in a rush, and I smiled. I don't think I'd actually smiled once all day, and it was a relief to feel relaxed. Levi had said this was no strings attached, but to me I wasn't sure if I could pretend this never happened, I mean,

"That was the best sex I've ever had and it would really suck not to ever do it again."

Levi's eyes widened and I was confused before realizing I had said the last part out loud. I gasped and my eyes widened for probably the millionth time today, and I clapped a hand over my mouth. Well,  _now_  I was totally hosed.

"Has anybody ever told you that you run your mouth too much and say the stupidest shit?" Levi questioned flatly, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, hand still over my mouth. I suddenly felt really uncomfortable with our close proximity and I opened my eyes and moved my hands to push myself up and I squeaked when Levi's arms wrapped around my neck once more, pulling me down and rolling on his side in the same motion. We ended up with our legs tangled together, and I felt the cool squish of liquid pressed between us. I was frozen, one arm pinned under Levi's side and the other still held up for balance. He had tucked his head under my chin, and instantly wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I glanced down, and I hesitated for a few tense seconds before I planted a small kiss atop his head. He didn't protest, and I felt relieved.

"Levi...?" I asked cautiously.

"You're not fucking leaving until tomorrow, so shut the hell up," he replied, and I laughed, hugging him closer. At least for today I could pretend that this wasn't temporary. This is exactly  _not_  where I thought I would end up when I was almost late for work this morning, and as he pulled away, grumbling about the 'sticky shit' on his stomach, I took the opportunity to admire the intricate design of the wings spread across most of his back. He padded in to the adjoining bathroom, grabbing a towel and wetting it under the faucet before padding back.

"Nice limp, sir," I shot cheekily, and he fixed me with a glare that I'm sure could freeze fire, but I knew better. His glares held no ice to me. At least not in this space. Tomorrow this would go back to normal, and we would be back to parole officer and parolee. But for now, as we wiped off the sticky residue of our shenanigans, I felt that my life wasn't a chaotic disaster.

"Stop staring at my ass, you dolt," Levi barked at me as I watched him walk back in to the bathroom, flipping me the bird as he did his best to not walk with a limp.

I guess sometimes you get something really good out of a completely shitty situation, and I had absolutely no qualms about my recent transgressions.

 

 


	3. Caught red handed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fan with Levi's friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trash, literally. I decided to continue this story after overwhelming feedback. You can expect updates every two weeks, most likely on weekends. This will get quite convoluted going forward, but enjoy it! Please leave a comment, or come find me on tumblr at [sm-dc](http://sm-dc.tumblr.com)!

"You're sick!"

"I'm not sick."

"Hmm... Are you sure? I didn't go through all that medical school for nothing, silly!"

"Are _you_ fucking sure? Maybe you're dead and can't feel temperature anymore, Shitty Glasses,"

"How rude!"

Hanji and I were sitting at a Starbucks down the street from the library, as was our Sunday tradition, and I was doing my damnedest to ignore the heat on my face. Fucking... I could not believe the tangled up shit storm my life had become the past few weeks. I buried my face in my hands, pushing my glasses up on my forehead in the process. Hanji just laughed, and I flipped her the bird. This was bullshit. I was 34 god damn years old, and I did not have time for this. At all.

It was all Eren's fault.

It had been nearly a month since I had first laid eyes on him in the county court room when he was assigned to me, and fuck me he looked like a kicked puppy. Since he had been put in my care, I did my best to bully him to behave, but I quickly realized he wasn't a fuck-up; he had a simple lapse in judgment and was not, in fact, a bad person.

I absolutely hated when my first impressions were incorrect, and it had me all kinds of messed up in the head. There was only about a week and a half left of Eren's community service, and then I wouldn't ever have to see him again. I had heard him mention to Hanji that he wasn't really a library person, and the main branch downtown was supremely inconvenient for him if he ever needed to use the library. Eren lived north of the downtown core, in the hippy neighborhood of Fremont with all his hippy friends. He worked at one of the small, local pubs up there as a waiter and bartender and I absolutely had not gone by it one day to check it out.

Well, not of my own volition. I had gone as a parole officer to explain to Eren's boss what was going on and why he would be missing so much work. I didn't need to do it, and in fact I was advised not to by Erwin Smith, chief of police and my other best friend. If Eren lost his job for his petty crime, it really wasn't the concern of the state. But as I said, Eren tried really hard to balance working at the library and then rushing to go to work. His boss, an older man named Pixis, seemed to be understanding and agreed that Eren was one of the hardest workers he had and it would be a shame to lose him. We had shaken hands at that, and that had been a month ago, one week in to Eren's sentence when I realized he wasn't a useless ass clown.

Somehow in the middle of all of this he found time for online school, and I had to admit I was a little impressed he was able to balance all of that. I hadn’t asked him what he was going for, but I think it had something to do with animals; veterinarian? Zoologist? Fuck, that’s probably something I should know.

I had, admittedly, ridiculously high standards for everything, and Eren tried his best to meet or exceed them consistently. One day he had come to the library for his shift, and had to change in to his work uniform as he wouldn't have time between busing it between the library and there. It was always some plaid shirt, and black pants. I could admit that it really looked good on him, but only to myself.

He had kept true to his decision, at my suggestion, to pretend our one-night stand a few weeks ago didn't happen. I honest and truly was not expecting him to make that choice, as I was so sure I had him figured out after my initial assumption was incorrect. This pissed me off more, because I was usually so spot on with people and Eren was like a grab bag of fuckery that got me all turned around and I did not appreciate it one bit. The day after, I had driven him back to his apartment and he had simply given a mock salute as he walked to his door, not looking back, a stupid half grin the last thing I saw before the door shut. And that was that. Simple, clean, almost like a business transaction.

I reached up to remove my glasses, setting them on the table in front of me as I sighed. Hanji was watching me calmly over the rim of her mug, and I blamed her just as much as myself, because she had been the one to put the bug in my ear that Eren might be interested in me beyond something platonic. I never listened to Hanji. I never went on the dates she tried to set me up with, because every time I had, it had always been with someone who nearly pissed themselves when I glared at them. I knew I was intimidating, but when you have resting bitch face, it's not something I can really control, ya know? Why the hell I had decided that yes, this time would be good to listen to Hanji was beyond me. Despite all my efforts, I couldn't get that night out of my head, and I coughed at the memory, leaning back in my chair with one arm tossed over the back of my chair and the other covering my mouth.

"Say, Levi..."

"No."

"I haven't even said anything yet!" she sounded offended, but I knew better. Her pout did nothing to me. Hanji and I had known each other since middle school, along with Erwin, and fuck knows why we remained friends. It was a constant game of 'Hey I have a great idea!' and 'No, fuck off' between us. But, we had been there for each other through our tumultuous years, high school and even in to college. Hanji and I had both gone to medical school, and I hated every fucking second of it. Some kind of bullshit way to honor the memory of my parents, who had died in a car accident about a month before I graduated high school. My father had been a doctor and my mother was a nurse.

Apparently they had been drinking and decided to drive home, I was later informed. It had put me in a really bad place when I received the news. I didn't talk to anybody, go anywhere and I barely ate anything. Hanji and Erwin had been the only ones who even bothered with me, and during the time Hanji and I went to medical school and Erwin studied to be a police officer, they had lived in my parent's house with me. My parents had left me a sizable inheritance as well as their house, and the overwhelming silence every day would have driven me insane.

I had dropped out of medical school when I realized I wasn't focusing and would fail, which was unacceptable as I had always gotten straight A's. My standards, not my parents'; they would have been happy if I got B's or C's, depending on the subject. I still missed them to this day, but I didn't dwell on it very often.

I had gone hiking a lot in my free time, but I eventually grew increasingly bored with the life I was leading, and after a night of beers with Erwin, he had suggested to me that I should become a cop. Firstly, I fucking hate cops, however the idea of a parole officer resonated with me as his second suggestion. Status and something to do in my free time without the stuffy uniforms and germ ridden police station. He also suggested I may be able to impart some wisdom on people that received DUI's.

Perfect.

I had put myself through the required course work, and by the time I was 27 I was certified. I had picked up the job at the library when I had quit college to have something to occupy my time, so between that and occasionally picking up the wayward parolee, I kept myself busy. I had been promoted to head librarian about 5 years ago, and had taken that up as my primary job, mixing my duties there with my parole officer duties unless the person was a completely filthy junkie, in which case I made them do yard work at my house.

After about 5 minutes of Hanji staring at me with a blank expression, I finally sneered at her.

"What the fuck is it? You've been a royal pain in my ass for weeks; more than usual," I grumbled at her, and I saw a startled mother shooing her child away from my foul language. Whatever. Hanji brightened considerably at my invitation to listen to whatever half-cocked scheme she had. It had been our tradition to get Starbucks every Sunday since we were 16, and sometimes it was a combination of Hanji and me, or Erwin and Hanji, or Erwin and me, depending on who had to work. Today would be a rare treat that we'd all three get to sit and have a wonderful conversation.

I knew what Hanji wanted. The grin that spread across her face was a sign to me that I most definitely would need more coffee, as I had downed my americano in the first ten minutes we were seated. If we were going to get in to this shit, I would need more caffeine, and today my usual black tea would not cut it. Grabbing my glasses and putting them back on, I scooted my chair back, grabbing my empty cup to throw it away. I met Hanji's grinning face with a scowl, adjusting my [jacket](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_chic_3/set?id=136994912) on the back of my chair as I walked past it to go back up to the counter. I stood behind a woman who didn't seem to know what the fuck coffee was, and I felt myself growing increasingly more irritated as the seconds ticked by. Right as I was about to say something, the door opened, bringing with it a gust of cold wind and a couple wayward leaves; it was October and it was getting cold as shit. I turned to glare over my shoulder at whomever had just walked in, but I felt a heavy hand clamp down on my other shoulder, making me jump and I turned sharply to glare at the offender.

"It's so wonderful to see your chipper expression, Levi."

"Get bent, Eyebrows."

Erwin laughed; a heavy, warm sound. He was way taller than I was, and he liked to point this out as often as possible, ruffling my hair as I grumbled. Great, now the gang was all here. I eyed his outfit of choice, my nose wrinkling.

"Did you really need to wear your Sunday best? It's fucking Starbucks, dumb ass."

Erwin always liked to be impeccably [dressed](http://www.polyvore.com/inner_city_chic/set?id=136994054), and unfortunately today he had to work. His suit was perfectly tailored, and his overcoat fit him perfectly. The scarf he wore was something I had given him for Christmas years ago, and though I personally thought it was tacky as shit, he loved it and wore it constantly. Sometimes Hanji would even wear it, the mooch.

His response to my scowl was one of his smiles that I had dubbed his 'politician face' many years ago. We'd been friends for what seemed like forever, and while I was completely gay, I never found him attractive as he was not at all my type. He was like a brick wall and way too tall for my taste, something he used to his advantage at this very moment as he rested his arm on top of my head, pretending to scan the menu.

"Levi, I was in meetings this morning, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. You know I think suits are too stuffy-"

"Bullshit,"

"Language; there are children here-"

"You mean your wife?"

At that, he laughed softly, finally removing his arm from my head to reach up and fiddle with his scarf.

"I don't think Hanji appreciates you referring to her as a child, Levi," he chided, stepping forward when the lady in front of us finally got her shit squared away. "What're you having?"

"Just give me an IV with straight espresso and we'll call it good." I grumbled, shoving my hands in my pockets. I guess now might be a good time to mention that Hanji and Erwin were married. For as long as I can remember, Erwin had pined over her and she either didn't notice or pretended to be oblivious to tease him. Either way they finally pulled their heads out about midway through Hanji's medical school and started dating. It was absolute hell to discover their newfound relationship sprawled naked on my couch one night after I got off work early, and I yelled and swatted at them with a rolled up magazine, covering my eyes as they just laughed and scampered to Erwin's bedroom.

But that was years ago, and they'd gotten married about three months in to their 'official' relationship; no big hurrah, just a civil ceremony at the courthouse. I had been the best man, and they had actually gotten in to a legitimate argument about Erwin wanting me on his side, and Hanji wanting me to be her 'man of honor.' Either way, while the ceremony was simple, I had taken it upon myself to throw them a surprise reception/engagement party at my house, which they never saw coming. We had gone to the courthouse in the morning, and my mid-afternoon when we arrived home there were about twenty people all waiting there. In hindsight, I should have realized what a fucking terrible idea that was because my house was a disaster the next day. But, it was only a few weeks later when they announced they were moving out, and that left me in my current state of alone for the first time in my life. I'd had a few years now to get used to it, and I actually relished the silence of my house.

My thoughts were cut off by a cup blocking my face- Had I spaced out? Fuck. I glanced up at Erwin, who was doing his best to not laugh at me for not paying attention. This wasn't like me at all. Swiping the cup quickly from his hand, we turned to go back to the table Hanji was still occupying, playing some game on her [phone](http://www.polyvore.com/femme_hipster_2/set?id=136992289), her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth.

"Stop playing games, Shitty Glasses. You're 34 years old. Fucking act like it," I snapped, sitting back in my chair with a huff. Erwin walked behind Hanji's chair to plant a kiss on the top of her head before taking his seat across from me. She looked up to smile at Erwin, turning the screen of her phone off before she slowly turned her gaze to me, and I tensed, my coffee cup raised to my mouth.

" _Ohh_? Levi, I didn't realize we were acting our age, here," she started, and I could tell she was mocking me. My eyes narrowed, but I didn't say anything. Erwin silently looked between us, amusement sparkling in his eyes. This was going to end up being a joke at my expense, and I had walked right in to it. Like I usually do. Hanji leaned towards Erwin, cupping her hand around his ear as if to whisper something. He leaned down, doing his best to look overly interested and eager. What a couple of ass clowns.

"Say, Erwin, did you hear? Levi's trying to be 'mature!'" she tried to play it off as if she were whispering, but her hand was cupped in the direction to amplify her voice towards me. I resumed my earlier position of slinging one arm back over my chair, my other hand holding my coffee cup with my fingertips. Erwin gave a small gasp of mock surprise, eyes widening a fraction as he glanced to his wife.

"Is that so? Why, I can't even imagine the reason! What an odd time to start being mature, in your mid-thirties..."

"You're one to talk, Eyebrows; you're almost 36!" I spat, taking a long sip of my coffee. Why I even bothered to do this with these idiots floored me. Hanji giggled, and I saw the beginning of something brewing in her eyes.

"Ahh, did you know, though? Levi's sick," she said in a poorly hushed voice. I tensed, not liking at all the direction this was going. Erwin's eyebrows arched in interest, fixing me with a calculating stare. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but said nothing. Erwin turned his face, playing along with Hanji's shitty game as he cupped his own hand around her ear, and she made a big production about dramatically leaning in, her fingertips over her mouth as if she were trying to contain her laughter.

"Is that so? I wonder what kind of sickness he has. He looks perfectly fine to me," his attempt at false whispering was piss-poor and I knew he wasn't trying very hard. Why did I always end up being the butt of their jokes? There were a few seconds of silence before I caught Hanji's eye and instantly regretted it as I realized a split second too late what was happening.

"Hanji, don't-!"

"You know, love sick!" she practically squealed in Erwin's ear, and I didn't take much time to feel sympathetic to his wince as I lurched forward to grab the collar of her shirt, pulling her over to my side as she finally burst out laughing. I knew my glare did nothing to her, and she merely held my fisted hand in both of her own as she cackled, Erwin doing nothing to stop us as he calmly sipped his coffee, far too used to our antics to give a fuck anymore.

"I said shut the hell up, you shit!" I hissed, and she merely snorted, her eyes alight with mirth. This was exactly why I tried to rationalize not talking to Hanji in the first place. The very exact reason. I realized a few seconds too late that my reaction was bit much to try and explain away, and after a few seconds of glaring at Hanji, I let go of her collar and shoved her back in to her seat, her giggles having subsided slightly. Instead, I chose to sulk and glare at my coffee, as if that would save me. I absolutely refused to meet Erwin's eyes, as I knew the second I did I'd have to explain myself.

And I couldn't do that. Not yet, and hopefully not ever.

"Levi."

"No."

"Levi, don't be such a poop!"

"Get fucked, Four-Eyes."

"Levi." Erwin spoke again, and this time I looked at him over the rim of my glasses, through my bangs. "Do you mind elaborating on your supposed illness?"

"Oh, it's just the cutest thing! Go on Levi, tell him!" Hanji goaded and I clicked my tongue before slouching forward, both hands loosely around my cup.

"There's nothing really to the story," I said quietly, slightly bitter. As far as I was concerned, if Eren wanted everything to go back to normal as if what we did never happened, I was not going to breach that silent agreement. "Momentary lapse of judgment. It won't happen again." I said with a note of finality. This seemed to pique Erwin's interest, and I just knew this was going to end so poorly.

"That's quite unusual for you, Levi. You're usually so meticulous about things," Erwin's tone was significantly less playful and much more business, and I felt tension begin rising between us. Hanji just looked back and forth like she was watching a tennis match, but thankfully she didn't say anything, simply sipping on her chai latte. Crap. I had to play this carefully. Not only was what Eren and I did morally ambiguous, but also a direct violation of my position. Erwin backed me up in every decision I made, but this was an entirely different can of worms. "That's not to say... We don't all make mistakes once in a while," he continued, but the way he trailed off let me know he wanted a response.

Sighing, I lifted my head, shooting a wilted glare at Hanji before making eye contact with Erwin, his face impassive as he patiently waited for me to get my shit together. He was giving me an out.

"As I said, it will not. Happen. Again." I made sure to punctuate each word, my teeth clenching at the end of 'again.' I felt like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar and I was now being scolded by my parents. If it weren't for Hanji, I could have just kept this as a simple secret, but no. Now it was this tangled cluster-

"This lapse of judgment wouldn't happen to have green eyes and work at a pub, now, would it?" Erwin spoke as I lifted my cup to my lip once more, and I quite literally choked on my drink, sputtering as my eyes widened. God fucking damn it. Hanji merely smiled widely at me as I hastily grabbed a napkin to wipe my face, coughing as I did so. Well, there it was.

"Oh Erwin, you should have seen it! They were like two hormonal teenagers. I'm surprised Levi could drive like that, to be quite honest."

"Shi-... Hanji, knock it off!" I sputtered. This was the least dignified I had felt in a really, really long time. I had such a firm grasp on myself and this was slowly turning in to a large train wreck and I couldn't stop it. The shitty grin Erwin now sported did absolutely nothing to make the situation better.

"Now, Levi, I'm quite sure I do not need to tell you the implications of your actions," The way Erwin spoke sounded like a parent scolding a child, and I slumped a bit in my chair, though my eyes held his defiantly.

"I know perfectly well what I did and as I said, there will be no future incidents. You have my word." My tone was resolute, and we stared at each other; my eyes challenging, his calculating. He knew that when I made a promise, it was set in stone. I never went back on a promise. After what seemed like forever, a small smile crossed his lips and he just muttered 'I see' before taking a sip of his coffee. Good, that was done. Fucking fantastic. Letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, I sat back, staring moodily at my cup. This could have ended up so much worse, and I didn't like taking advantage of my friends, but in this case having the police chief as your best friend really paid off.

"Well, now that we have that settled! Levi," Hanji broke in, tone bright as if Erwin and I hadn't just had a tense staring contest. I glanced at her before removing my glasses, rubbing at my eyes.

"What, Hanji...?"

"You're still set to come with us on Tuesday, right?" Erwin's birthday was in a few days and we had planned to go out with a few other friends. I had no idea where the hell we were going, and I didn't really care. Probably something ritzy, and I would be conned in to buying their dinner as a 'birthday present.' It's not as if I had nothing better to spend my money on, but for as much as I didn't enjoy taking advantage of my friends, I wished they felt the same.

"I'm not your sugar daddy, Shitty Glasses. Wherever we go I'm not paying for your mooching ass. It's not even your birthday!" I snapped, taking a large swig of my now lukewarm coffee. Gross.

My patience was wearing thin the longer we sat here and I had stuff to do today that required my full attention and I could not wait to get this over and done with. As much as I loved my Sundays this was growing tiresome; if it had been any other day I would have sat here for probably another hour as per usual just shooting the shit with Hanji and Erwin because that's usually what we did.

I managed to choke down the rest of my cup of coffee before slamming it down on the table which drew the attention of both Hanji and Erwin at my sudden abrupt noise.

"If you two don't mind I'm going to have to go ahead and take my leave from this lovely coffee date," I bit out, pushing back from the table with an obnoxious squealing of my chair. I noticed the other two winced and I felt the barest hint of apology for it. I bent down to grab my helmet from where I had set it under the table. I hadn't bothered with my leather jacket today as I knew I'd get too hot as it was actually kind of sunny today.

"Just text me the plan, Shitty Glasses; I expect to see you at work bright and early tomorrow because it's Monday and you know what that means,"

Hanji just groaned in response. Monday was the day I insisted on going through the entire library and making sure everything was in its proper place and it was one of the things that Hanji had gotten used to over the years. I knew it still pissed her off especially because I made her get there at 6:00 a.m. on a Monday which was never her favorite. She was not a morning person despite what her chipper behavior would tell you, and was in fact quite a bear. Her main job at the hospital only required her to be there when she was really needed, as she worked in pediatrics and was on call. Or something. I didn’t really know.

"Yea, yea, you know I can't wait to see your cheerful face first thing in the morning, dearest Short-Stuff!"

The digs at my height, or lack thereof, didn't bother me nearly as much as they did in the past, but I still scowled and flicked Hanji on the back of the head as I walked towards the door, tossing my cup in to the trash on my way. All I heard was a whine about how much of a 'meanie' I was and a low laugh in response. I was truly happy for my friends, and while they both pissed me off endlessly, they were still my best friends. I half smiled, pushing open the door as I pulled my scarf a bit tighter around my neck.

The brisk autumn air wasn't entirely pleasant, but it was still tolerable and only warranted a light jacket and maybe a scarf. It was Sunday, which meant significantly less traffic in this part of town unless people wanted to go to the library. Stuffing my hand into my pockets to fish for my gloves, I pulled them out and slipped them on as I walked down the street to where I had parked my bike. There weren't any spots in front of the building, so I had to park around the corner on the cross street. Turning the corner, I could see Elliot Bay at the end of the street. This street looked down towards the water as it was on a hill. This city was all hills, and when it rained it was a shit to drive in. But today was dry and clear, which was sometimes a welcome change. I myself preferred the rain, but the occasional sunny day felt nice. Opening up the compartment under my seat, I slipped off my glasses and placed them gently in the case I kept there; I only needed them to see up close. Despite what I had told Hanji, I didn't really have anything to do today, but I had something I wanted to do.

...Well, no. I didn't want to. But I felt I had to. Yes, just doing some follow-up. Completely professional and necessary. Yep.

I slipped on my helmet and was buckling it under my chin when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket; only once, which meant a text. Groaning, I pulled it out, swiping my thumb across the screen.

 **Shitty Glasses** : Don't forget to be safe!!! Let me know if you need to have 'the talk' with Erwin and I!!! <3 U!!

For fuck's sake.

I quickly typed back a snippy reply before once again pocketing my phone. Throwing my leg over the side of my bike, I reached to turn the key when my phone again vibrated to alert me of a text. "Now what?!"

Removing it again, I hastily swiped the screen again, this time to a text from Erwin.

 **Eyebrows** : I'll hold you to your word, Levi. Have a lovely day.

I snorted, not even bothering with a response as I pocketed my phone again and started my bike, the engine thrumming beneath me. It was slightly difficult to back out of the parking space, as I was backing it uphill, but I managed and let the bike coast down the hill to the stoplight. I needed to head north, and the endless maze of one way streets in the downtown core was a royal pain in the ass, as the streets never seemed to be the one direction I wanted to go. After much unnecessary turning around blocks, I was finally heading north. Heading towards what I’m certain was going to come back to bite me in the ass.

 


	4. What friends are for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exploring Eren and his friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I had a huge project come up at work, and also moved in to a new apartment so internet has been non-existant. But here this is! As always, come find me on tumblr and talk to me about this fic: sm-dc.tumblr.com! Comments make me update faster~

* * *

 

 

Fremont was the center of the center of the [universe](http://www.ellalliance.org/uploads/1/0/0/5/10058347/3337026_orig.jpg?167), or so it claimed. There were literally signs scattered through the neighborhood that stated this as a solid fact. This claim definitely held some weight on Sundays during the weekly [Sunday market](http://www.fremontmarket.com/). An eclectic mix of merchants and food trucks all piled in to a tiny area and sold their wares to the curious onlooker, the occasional wayward tourist, as well as the bohemian locals.  
  
Generally, I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a good treasure hunt, however when carrying a [baby](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_bebe_3/set?id=138838919), this task became way less about treasure hunting and much more about becoming a suit of armor and trying not to use the baby as a battering ram.  
  
“I honestly don’t know how I got so lucky to have well behaved babies,” Armin stated, adjusting the baby he was also carrying on his front. For being only about five months old, both of Armin and Annie’s babies were very even tempered and easygoing. Unless they were hungry, in which they then turned into Satan incarnate. I laughed a little at my own joke, glancing down fondly at the baby squealing happily in his harness, kicking his feet every so often.  
  
Thank god they weren’t being fussy, and were instead way more enthralled with the many noises and colors around them. Normally I disliked children, but after babysitting for the better part of the last year, they were starting to grow on me. Not that I wanted one, as I very much enjoyed my sanity and sleep.  
  
“I honestly don’t know why you’re so surprised, man. With your patience and Annie’s stoic nature, you were bound to have kids with doorknob personalities.”  
  
“Ha, ha, thanks, Eren,” Armin mocked sarcastically, his gaze cast down at the tiny [girl](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_bebe/set?id=137424255) hanging on his front. Armin and Annie had begun dating after high school, and Armin wasted no time in proposing to her a year after they officially were together. They'd been married for about three years now.  
  
Quite honestly nobody had any idea Armin even liked Annie, however after sneaking some of Armin's grandpa's liquor one night while we were in high school, he blurted out how pretty he thought Annie had been that day at school. This had caused an assault of relentless teasing on the part of myself and Mikasa, harassing him for details. I myself knew Armin to be at least bisexual, or bi-curious, as he and I had messed around a few times as teenagers. Nothing more than a blow job between friends, you know. Kid stuff.  
  
Their wedding had been a simple, small gathering with close friends and family, and had been outside during the spring. Thankfully it hadn't rained. It had come as a major surprise to both Annie and Armin that they were expecting twins, and Armin had nearly fainted at the news. Annie rolled with it in her usual way. All during her pregnancy, her main source of annoyance came from Armin being overly doting, which to the rest of us was cute but exasperating. Thankfully Annie had a desk job, so she wasn't on her feet much, but Armin still used every chance to make sure she was taken care of. About six months in she finally snapped and flipped her shit, which was terrifying. She flipped over and broke a kitchen chair, shattered a plate and ate an entire cake by herself. Armin had called me for some fuck knows why reason, nearly hysterical, because his small, very angry, very pregnant wife was having a raging fit. Annie was like a volcano; calm for a million years, but when it was time for her to blow up, it was in epic proportions. They never did replace that chair, but from then on, Armin only helped her if she asked for it, as she was fully capable.   
  
After a lot of deliberation, Annie and Armin settled on the names Amelia and Aiden for their twins, both with fine blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes, like their parents. Amelia had slightly darker blonde hair than her brother, though. Their name choices had resulted in relentless teasing on the part of everybody, myself included, for starting their names with the letter A.

A high pitched squeal drew my attention to the drooling baby strapped to Armin's chest, her tiny mitten covered hands flailing about trying to reach the stuffed animal her father was currently teasing her with.  
  
A stroller was absolutely out of the question in this jumbled nonsense, so the [baby carriers](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_dad/set?id=137424650) were the next best thing. Carrying both at the same time would have been too much. Armin was fairly strong, but these babies were solid. Not fat, just really sturdy. Fuck that's a terrible descriptor for a baby.  
  
Today Annie was out doing something with Sasha and Mikasa, some girl’s day or some shit. I didn't know exactly, all I knew was that Armin was left with the babies for the day, and what better way to build up their immune systems than by taking them out on a Sunday morning in October. I bounced slightly as I walked, Armin walking in front of me as we stopped to look at various things. Mostly the items sold here were jewelry, antiques, decorations and general curios. I wasn't looking for much in particular, but I had to work at noon so I figured I'd join Armin so he could get out of the house. My workplace was just at the end of the street a few blocks over, so I’d just shuffle on over. As it was, it was about 11:15 so I would need to get going soon. We’d been out for roughly two hours, first making a stop at one of the many coffee shops in the neighborhood.  
  
Countless people had stopped at our table, and I’m sure they got the wrong idea as both Armin and I each had a baby in our arms, feeding them from bottles as we talked over coffee. I didn’t really care if people thought we were together, but I could tell Armin got flustered when people asked too many invasive questions. I would eventually butt in and tell them we were just friends and these weren’t “our” kids, but it didn’t stop people from passively commenting on how cute of a couple we were. I just smiled, and Armin did his best to not die of embarrassment.  
  
“So, Eren,” Armin’s voice pulled me from my musings, and I stood up straight from my bent over position by some antique plates. His expression was relaxed and neutral, but his eyes spoke of mischief. Fuck.  
  
“So, Armin.” I mimicked back, poking the inside of my cheek with my tongue. I knew it was only a matter of time before this came to bite me in the ass, and I really only had myself to blame.  
  
Rewind to two weeks ago.  
  
Normally when I came stumbling home at the wee hours of the morning, it was from working way too late, and I was never questioned. As it was, though, the morning that Levi had dropped me off, Connie happened to be awake for some fuck knows why reason, slouching over the coffee maker as I made my entrance into our shared apartment.  
  
Generally speaking, we never really cared what the other did, but I stopped cold in my tracks when Connie exclaimed,  
  
“Whoa, man! Did you get in a fight with a Hoover?”  
  
At the question I felt my stomach bottom out. Tossing down my bag, I had rushed in to the bathroom, flipping on the light and turning my head to check out a hickey that I’m certain was the size of Texas.  
  
“Holy-…!”  
  
“ _Damn_ , dude, where _were_ you last night? Obviously doing something way more fun than I was. Or some _one_ ,” Connie had popped his head around the doorway, grinning at my current crisis. Thank anything holy that it was scarf weather, as I could not be chilling around with this massive splotchy mess on my neck. Especially not at work.  
  
“Shut up, man. Just… Don’t tell Mikasa, whatever you do. I swear to god…” I was whining, I knew it, but of all people I did not want to have Mikasa try and practice her makeup skills on me. Again. She was aiming to be a makeup artist, and I was her favorite practice doll. It was cute the first few times, but now it was severely annoying and I didn’t really like wearing makeup.  
  
“Hey, no problem!” Connie said, raising his hands and turning to walk back to the kitchen as the coffee pot dinged. “Not my circus, not my monkeys. Who you do in your free time is none of my business,” he trailed off, and I grumbled for a few more seconds before I exited the bathroom, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.  
  
Connie, Armin and I all roomed together after high school, but when Armin got married, him and Annie moved in to their own place and it was now just Connie and I. I was certain Connie was going to be moving out soon, though, and in to an apartment with his girlfriend, Sasha, and there was no way I would stay in this large apartment by myself.  
  
As it was, I was struggling to make rent and pay my other bills as I'd missed so much work lately. Levi was a relentless slave driver, and even though I did online school and didn't have to get up early, I still had to go to work in the evenings to make money then try and squeeze in some classes on the weekends. I had all but depleted the meager savings my parents had left Mikasa and I. They had started college funds for us both when we were babies, but didn't have much time to put money in to them as they had died in a car accident when we were barely older than toddlers.  
  
Our god father, Hannes, had taken us in after our parents had been killed in a car accident. Drunk driver hit them or something, I don't really remember. But all parties involved died. I had been too young to really understand the implications, and Hannes had been there to take care of Mikasa and I. He worked for the city, and didn't make a lot of money, but somehow he always managed to make sure we had presents on our birthdays and Christmas, and things we needed for school. But enough of my sob story. Back to the present.  
  
Armin and I had shuffled back out on to the street and were making our way slowly to where he had parked his car.  
  
“So, who was it?” Armin asked, giving me a sidelong glance. Most of his gaze was blocked by his glasses, but I knew he was staring. I sighed, pouting down at the baby I carried. With the way Armin was now acting, I knew that I wouldn’t be getting out of this easy.  
  
"None of your beeswax." I groused, busying my hands by letting the baby I carried grasp them with his tiny fingers. I grinned when his immediate task was to drool all over my hand.  
  
"Oh, I think it's very much my beeswax. I heard an interesting thing from a reliable source," he started, not looking at me directly but I knew he was giving me sidelong glances, doing his best to look disinterested. I had asked Connie not to tell Mikasa, but now realize I hadn’t said anything about Armin. Shit.  
  
"Yeah? Well I'm sure this reliable source was just blowing smoke up your ass." I bit back, growing more and more irritated. "I really don't see how it's important to know, honestly. He was just some guy, not a big deal." I shrugged.  
  
At that, Armin stopped and turned fully to face me. He was less intimidating with a baby hanging off his front, but his stare was calculating, contemplating. I really wasn't appreciating the scrutiny.  
  
"Did he pressure you? Are you being blackmailed, Eren?" he asked, and it caught me off guard. Oh. So that was his issue.  
  
"No! Jesus, no," I sighed, laughing a bit. I knew Armin really didn't give a shit who I slept with; I was an adult and could make my own choices and mistakes. "It was a one time thing, yeah, but it was mutual. I'm hurt you think so little of me, Armin." I pouted, giving my best puppy dog eyes.  
  
Of all my friends, Armin was the only one who couldn't resist my pouty face. I knew it, he knew it, and I was a jerk for abusing my power. But at the sight of his expression softening, I knew I had claimed my victory. The sooner the gossip of my sex life died out from my friends, the better off I'd be. It's not as if I was a secretive person by nature, but for as much as I really had the hots for Levi, I knew better than to invest anything in it. Our social standings weren't ideal for any type of relationship, be it fuck buddies or otherwise. I'd also never had a real relationship before, so I really had no clue what I'd even do.  
  
Hang out, drink beer and occasionally fuck didn't really sound like the kind of relationship someone like Levi would be interested in, anyways.  
  
"Good. I was afraid I'd have to go kick some ass. Or at least sick Annie on somebody," Armin laughed, reaching up to adjust his half ponytail, and we resumed our slow shuffle towards his car. It was honestly a beautiful sunny day, and I was a bit bummed that I'd have to spend it inside at work. I mused on this for a few seconds, grinning slightly when the baby I held stuck one of my fingers in his mouth, gnawing on it.  
  
"Eren! Don't let him do that, there are germs!" Armin cried suddenly, startling both me and the baby.  
  
"God, Mikasa was right; you're the absolute worst mother hen," I groused, but dropped my hands to my sides, wiping baby spit on my pants. Armin fussed over his babies more than Annie did, and it tried everybody's patience. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time, and sighed.  
  
"I better get going soon. Pixis is letting me work as many hours as I want on the weekends to make up for what I miss during the week."  
  
Armin nodded as we finally reached his car, and he fished around in my messenger bag for his keys. My messenger bag always turned in to an honorary diaper bag on our outings. Not that I really minded, but it was a bit awkward to explain why a pacifier fell out of my wallet along with a condom when I grabbed my debit card at the store the other day. The chirp of Armin's Prius got me moving to unbuckle the harness on my front while Armin held his son under the arms so he wouldn't fall.  
  
"Fuck, I hate these stupid clasps..." I grumbled, pinching the clasp until it clicked open. I was always scared I'd pinch the baby's leg on accident, and I'd feel fucking awful. Armin handed me the baby and I set him in his car seat and made sure he was secure before turning to grab his sister. As I was leaning over to make sure she was secure, Armin spoke up.  
  
"Oh, are you going to come with us on Tuesday? I know it's right in the middle of the week, but one of the clubs downtown is having a 90's night! I know I asked you before and you weren't sure, but you said you didn't have to go to the library the following Wednesday," as he spoke, he worked on unbuckling the harness from himself. I pondered on it for a few minutes, doing one last check of the baby seats as I leaned out of the car, working on my own harness.

"Yea, I guess so. It's going to be so fucking lame, though. Stuff like that attracts _old_ people," I wrinkled my nose. By old people, I meant people in their 30's and older. Those wanting to feel nostalgic and probably break a hip trying to break dance or some shit. I snickered.  
  
"It'll be fun! Just stay an hour, at least? If it’s bogus, you can bail. Besides, the cover isn’t that much. I can sport you on that if you want…” he trailed off, and the look of poorly masked joy on his face was almost disgusting. Sure, I could dance, and sure, I liked to hang out and party, but not usually sober. _Especially_ not sober in public. We stared at each other for about 5 seconds before I sighed, and he laughed. I smiled despite myself, finally removing my harness and tossing it onto the floor of Armin’s car, shutting the door.  
  
“Fine. But you’ll owe me a beer when my probation is over,” I teased, pulling him in to a quick one arm side hug, patting his back before I took a few steps away. “I’ve gotta go, or I’ll be late. I’ll call you later?” I called, and he waved in response, getting in to his car. I waved back, continuing my walk to work. I checked my phone again, and had about ten minutes left. Plenty of time.  
  
I swiped the screen on my phone to open up tumblr and browse while I walked. Today was truly beautiful, and again I cursed my fate of being stuck inside. It would be the perfect day for a hike, or even a bike ride, maybe even a motorcycle-… No.  
  
_No_.  
  
I really needed to stop this way of thinking. It was becoming toxic to my well being as I caught myself drifting off on fantasy thoughts when I was working, and I had nearly dropped trays of drinks. I usually also thought of the embarrassing as hell thing I had said about having the best sex of my life. As mature as I thought I was, I couldn't look Levi in the eye for a good week after that.  
  
Fucking hormones.  
  
I had thought maybe being in my mid-twenties would mature my body a bit to not get hung up on stupid details and imagining things that weren’t going to happen. Sighing, I pocketed my phone and reached up to run my fingers through my hair, removing and pocketing my beanie as I did so. I was so frustrated.  
  
On the one hand, I really did not necessarily need or want a relationship, but I found myself entertaining thoughts of seeing Levi outside of the library. I hadn’t told anybody what had transpired between us, and I intended to keep it that way. Levi had been kind of flippant about the whole thing, as if he didn’t really care either way. But I also felt like I wanted it to be a secret; more so for my pride because I didn’t need to catch shit from my friends and sister. Mikasa tended to fuss over me in any and all of my romantic endeavors. Not really in an overbearing way, but more of an ‘I’m a nosy sister and you do stupid shit’ kind of way.  
  
Growling, I rubbed at my face aggressively, stopping on a corner to wait for the crosswalk to allow me to cross the street. There was a lot of traffic today; there usually was for the Sunday market. Usually I could just jay walk, but the constant stream of vehicles prevented this. The light turned green and I stepped off the sidewalk. I had only taken about two steps when a motorcycle passing by caught my eye.  
  
I watched it pass, almost as if in slow motion, going north in the opposite direction I was walking. My stomach did a weird fluttering thing. The fuck?  
  
For a split second, it looked like Levi’s. Maybe he was coming to visit me...? I realized how ridiculous that was as soon as I thought it; why would Levi be up _here_ , of all places? This was the most crowded area for miles around; too many germs and people. Shrugging it off, I adjusted my messenger bag as I finally came upon the bar I worked at. It was an Irish themed place, and it was always really fucking busy. The doors were propped open to let in the refreshing fall air.  
  
For being a Sunday, there was a pretty decent crowd already. Happy hour lasted until 10:00 p.m. on Sunday’s, so it was always popular. Making my way to the back, I waved at a few of the regulars, smiling as I passed on my way to the "break room." Our break room was really just a closet in the back of the kitchen with some shelves for our bags and a chair to use for breaks. It had been affectionately decorated with crude drawings artfully created with crayons by the employees. I quickly glanced at the paper tacked to the wall with the schedule for the week, and groaned slightly, realizing I had shifts every single day this week. I needed the money, but I also knew that this week was going to be grueling at the library and I had a report due soon for one of my classes.  
  
"Oh, damn, I have to work with _you_ today?"  
  
"Fuuudge..." I muttered under my breath, rummaging around in my bag for my work [shirt](http://www.polyvore.com/hipster_business/set?id=136984773). I closed my eyes and silently counted to five, standing up once I found my shirt to turn and face one of my least favorite people on the planet.  
  
"I'm just about as eager as you are, Seabiscuit," I snapped back, already not looking forward to this day. I'm glad I was working the early shift today, as for some fuck knows why reason, Levi told both Hanji and I to be at the library at the ass crack of dawn tomorrow. Still, I knew I wasn't going to get out of here before nine, which meant I had to deal with Jean for almost my entire shift.   
  
Jean snorted, hands on his hips as he gave me a once over. "You look like shit, man," he stated loudly. For as much as I disliked Jean, he was always straightforward, albeit loud. Ruffling my hair again, I removed the sweater I had been wearing, hanging it up on a hook on the wall, along with my bag.  
  
"You don't look much better. What's with the backwards [baseball cap](http://www.polyvore.com/city_casual_2/set?id=148581653)? I didn't realize this was 1996," I snarked, enjoying the pout Jean tried and failed to hide.  
  
"... But Mikasa got me this hat," he grumbled, looking to the side. Jean was stubbornly proud of the Seattle Mariners, who were notoriously terrible every season, but tickets were cheap and going to the games was fun. Mikasa knew this and bought him one of their shitty hats. Another thing I really hated about Jean was that he was dating my sister, and despite my constant protests, they had been together for about 2 years. I knew Jean was absolutely over the moon for her, had been since middle school, and treated her like the fucking queen of England. But as the brother, I hated him on principle.  
  
"Well then Mikasa obviously has poor taste, seeing as she's dating you," I felt proud of that one as I pushed my way past him, grabbing my apron from the stack sitting by the break room door. We each had our own half apron to store pens and paper in, but today I'd be working the bar mostly so I probably wouldn't need to use it. I clocked in at the register and was instantly called to the end of the bar to take an order.  
  
My coworkers were all kept busy, so thankfully Jean didn't really have a chance to harass me, and I was equally thankful that I was kept busy as well to keep myself focused. I talked with a few of the regulars, and shamelessly flirted with some cute girls sitting at one of the tables close to the bar. Before I knew it, it was time for my first break and I waved to Jean across the room, and he nodded in response as I stepped back towards the break room closet.  
  
Fishing my phone out of my sweater pocket, I saw I had a text. Swiping open my phone, I saw it was from Mikasa about ten minutes ago.  
  
**Sister Dearest** : Hey we're going to stop in for drinks. Save us a table.  
  
I shuffled back through the kitchen to glance out over the floor, spying a few open tables, but I wasn't quite sure how many Mikasa meant when she said 'we.' I texted back asking her how many, and she almost instantly responded with three. So just her and the girls. I told her there were open tables, she responded with 'five minutes,' and by that time my break was done. I stuffed my phone back into my sweater, nearly bumping in to Connie in the doorway as he was rushing in.  
  
"Hey! Slow down, Speed Racer!" he joked, patting my shoulder as we awkwardly squeezed past each other in the narrow doorway. Connie, Jean and I all worked at the same pub, and while Connie and I were friendly, it was still irksome that I only had this job because Jean had put in a good word for me with Pixis, mostly at Mikasa's request. His internal struggle between giving me shit and wanting to be nice for Mikasa was endlessly amusing to me, but it forced us in to a tense arrangement of not wanting to invoke Mikasa's wrath.  
  
Snickering to myself, I caught Jean's eye across the room and stuck my tongue out at him. He was waiting a table and couldn't respond, so one point to me. Feeling pleased, I once again took up my position behind the bar, wiping down some glasses that were still wet from the dishwasher. Connie came out a moment later, clocking in and tying his own apron, adjusting the [vest](http://www.polyvore.com/dapper_hipster/set?id=137428647) he was wearing.  
  
"Busy today?" he asked, joining me in drying dishes.  
  
"Sort of; the usual for a Sunday, but it should pick up here, soon." I replied, glancing out over the room just as three girls walked in the open doors. I gave a small wave, and [Mikasa](http://www.polyvore.com/girly_hipster/set?id=137335642) waved back as they made their way to an open table by one of the windows. "I'll take their table," I stated to Connie, who had also noticed the arrival. "You were 7 minutes late anyways," I replied at his pout.  
  
Sliding out from behind the bar, I made my way to their table, taking out my notepad.  
  
"Afternoon, ladies. Can I get you anything?" I asked in the most polite way I could muster.  
  
"God, Eren, you sound so stuffy when you're working," Mikasa chided, pretending to scan the flip-menu on the table that listed drinks. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"My deepest apologies, _ma'am_ ," I bit out, and Annie and Sasha both stifled a snicker. Mikasa hated being called ma'am; she said it made her sound old.  
  
"You can fuck right off, _sir_ ," was her reply. "I'll have whatever's good on tap."  
  
"I'll have a white russian!" [Sasha](http://www.polyvore.com/femme_hipster_4/set?id=137427813) chirped. [Annie](http://www.polyvore.com/femme_hipster_3/set?id=137333749) sneered a little and ordered a soda. I guess she wasn't supposed to have alcohol if she was breast feeding? I think Armin had mentioned that at some point.  
  
"Right. I'll get that started, ladies," I turned on my heel and narrowly avoided colliding head-on with Jean, who I didn’t realize had been approaching the table. “Whoa, Rapidash! Better take off your blinders before stomping around!”  
  
“Rapidash? That’s a new one, Eren. At least that means I’m evolved,” he smirked at me. Ass.  
  
“Well it certainly doesn’t extend to your brain,” I replied quickly, shuffling off before he could come back at me with something. I heard Mikasa scold him at my retreat, so that was good enough for me.

I got back to the bar and went about making their drinks, making sure not to over pour the alcohol. The last thing I needed or wanted to deal with was a tipsy Mikasa or Sasha. If Mikasa got drunk, I got to leave her to Jean. If Sasha got drunk, I had to leave her to Connie, which inevitably meant she would be left to me to listen to through the thin walls of our apartment. Arranging them all on a tray, I shuffled out from behind the bar, narrowly avoiding bumping in to people as it had gotten quite crowded in the last hour.

"Here you go, ladies. White russian for Sasha, a local brew for Mikasa, and a soda for the little lady by the window," I grinned, setting the cups down one by one. Annie glared at me, but thanked me for the soda anyways. "Are you guys going to get food, or just loiter for three hours?"

Mikasa rolled her eyes and took a sip of her beer. "Ooh, this is good. And I don't know, I think we'll probably hang out for a bit. It's been a nice day,"

"I can't stay out much longer; I know Armin is going to call me soon, panicking because one of the babies threw up and he thinks they're dying." Annie said in her bored way, and we all laughed.

"I don't know, he seemed to do ok this morning; he only yelled at me once for letting your son chew on my fingers," I said, and all the girls smiled. "I mean, it was fucking gross, but he was pretty in to it." I added. I would have lingered, but Connie motioned for me to come to the bar and make something; more like, he wanted to come over and loiter by his girlfriend, and slack off. Whatever.

"I'll talk to you guys later," I waved as I turned to walk back to the bar.

"Man, why didn't you tell me Sasha was getting a drink? I would have poured it extra strong for her, how she likes them," Connie wiggled his eyebrows, and I flicked his forehead.

"Beacuse, dingus, I don't want to listen to your drunken fucking later. Do that when I'm not home, ya know?" He pouted and rubbed his head, but his expression melted in to one of mischief within a few seconds. Crap. I busied myself with making an order and I could almost count down literally from ten before he dug in to my ribs with his elbow.

"Come off it, man. I know you totally scored the other day. Don't be bitter at me because I score more than you do. Besides, I don't need someone to be drunk to sleep with me. Sasha keeps me busy," he leered over at the girls' table, and the look of pure adoration in his eyes almost made me sick. Almost.

"Man, what is it with you guys and being all dopey over your ladies? Like, it's cool and all that you're all lovey and shit, but just... You, Armin, Jean, you're all so..." I gestured randomly in front of my face for a few seconds, looking for the right word. Connie just laughed, sliding the drinks I had just made across the counter to a waitress to take to the right table.

"Whatever, Eren. You just don't get it. Someday you'll be completely disgusting over someone, and be the biggest dope ever. Just you wait." With that, we were both pulled to opposite ends of the bar to take orders.

Another hour passed, which meant I only had about half an hour until my lunch break. The ladies had ordered a few drinks each, but Mikasa said she would stay to have lunch with me, which was now more like dinner. Annie had left about twenty minutes ago, as her and Armin didn't live too far away. Sasha had stayed. I looked out over the floor to scan for any empty glasses, as it was now a lull between the dinner rush and the evening crowd. I made my way to a few tables to collect glasses, and once back at the bar I noticed Mikasa was talking on her phone. That made me pause.

The only people that ever actually called Mikasa were myself, Jean, Mikasa's employer, and Hannes. It was Sunday so Mikasa didn't work, so it must be Hannes? Shrugging it off, I set up the cups in the dishwasher, glancing every few seconds at Mikasa. Her expression kept changing from confused to surprised, then confused again.

What the hell?

I caught eyes with Sasha, and I pointed to Mikasa, making a phone gesture with my hand against my ear. She shook her head and shrugged, signalling that she had no idea. Checking the time on one of the registers, I decided now was a good time to take my lunch. I wasn't super hungry, as I had been snacking all day as Connie and I usually split the check to have food under the bar counter just in case it got too busy to take a break. Clocking out, I patted Connie on the shoulder to let him know I was taking lunch and made my way over to Mikasa's table.

"Yeah, ok, I'll let him know... Yeah... Yes, ok, I will. _Ok_ , I said! Jeez..." Mikasa trailed off and ended her call. I caught the end of her conversation as I sat down, and she set her phone down in front of her, staring at it with an expression I couldn't quite place. She glanced between me and Sasha, which seemed to be some kind of telepathic signal as Sasha scooted her chair back to stand.

"I think I'll go hang at the bar. Connie looks lonely up there!" she stated and all but sprinted to the bar. The fuck?

"Mikasa, what's going on? Is... did something bad happen?" I asked timidly, folding my arms in front of me and slouching forward. She shook her head slowly, leaning back in her chair, still staring at her phone.

"Then what is it? Was that Hannes?" I was getting anxious because she wasn't talking, but she blinked and looked up at me, her eyes a mix of emotions; mostly conflicted.

"Yeah, it was Hannes. He... Eren!" she suddenly smacked her hands on the table and leaned forward so suddenly I jumped.

"What?!"

"Hannes said all of our tuition has been paid off."

Despite the roar of noise around us, that sudden statement made my ears ring.

"Our... what? How? Mikasa, Hannes doesn't make that much money! How could he possibly-"

"No, Eren, it wasn't him!" she cut me off quickly, and I could tell she was getting just as anxious as I was. "He said that all of our tuition has been paid, and that we don't have to worry about it if we decide to do more schooling beyond what we're already enrolled for," she paused and licked her lips, frowning. "But, he wouldn't tell me how. I asked him, and he just said 'Don't worry about it, kiddo! It's nothing shady or illegal.'"

At that, I smiled. Hannes liked to gamble, but he had poor luck and always lost. Mikasa continued, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Like I said, I don't know how or why, but if Hannes says to trust him, then I do. I didn't really think there was that much money left in the trust fund from mom and dad, but maybe it's been gathering interest?" She seemed to contemplate this ,but I knew better. In another year, or less, that trust fund would be completely depleted, despite my and Hannes' efforts to keep it afloat. I leaned back in my chair, mimicking Mikasa's stance.

"Well," I started, also frowning a bit. "Yeah, ok, I guess if he says it's cool, then I won't worry too much about it. But still, what the hell? Who even has that much money to just throw away?" Mikasa shrugged.

"Who knows? Whoever they are, they must be a good person," she stated flatly, taking a sip of her beer.

"I guess, so..." I trailed off, turning to look out the window. It might have been a trick of the light, but I could swear I saw a motorcycle drive by in the traffic heading south.

... _wait_.


	5. Rumor has it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some back story is revealed and emotions are high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is later than anticipated! I had a convention to go to and things got really busy. But now con is over and I have a laptop, so I can actually write when I'm at home, yay! As always, find me on tumblr at sm-dc.tumblr.com. Please leave comments!

* * *

 

 

Leather pants are not my friend. 

We have a mutual understanding that, while I do need them on occasion for riding my bike, they're squeaky and I dislike that immensely. Thus, here I was in a department store with Hanji, trying to find some that weren't too tight despite Hanji insisting they made my ass look nice.

"Like I actually need help from clothing to make my ass look nice," I grumbled, holding a pair up for inspection. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Come to find out, Erwin and Hanji had found out one of the local clubs was having a throwback night, and would be playing a lot of songs from the 90's, mostly euro pop. It was finally Tuesday, and at Erwin's insistence, which was rare, we were all going to dress like we did in high school to make this an authentic 90's experience. Which included me wearing leather pants, Erwin wearing acid wash jeans and Hanji wearing spandex and plaid. Seattle in the 90's was all about grunge. 

As it was, she was browsing a clothing rack nearby, contemplating various pieces. 

"Say, Levi, do you still have your Doc Martens?" she inquired, pulling out a shirt and feeling the fabric. I wrinkled my nose.

"... Yes, in a box, somewhere with some other shit. I'm not wearing them if I'm expected to dance with you bastards." The last thing I needed was clunky boots to weigh me down. I would wear whatever shoes were comfortable, because as much as I would try my best to appease Erwin on his birthday, I drew the line at looking like a complete fool.

Hanji tossed the shirt she was looking at over her arm, turning to look at the pants I was still holding. She nodded, making a small sound of approval. 

"These are great! Now all you need is a denim vest with patches and you'll look just like you used to!" Her tone was way too excited for my liking. This was just an excuse for her to play dress-up with me, but Erwin had asked me to occupy her for the day as they were doing some kind of renovation in their house, and the contractor had complained to him that Hanji tried to micro manage everything in the name of science. She scraped drywall, kept paint chips and even tried to draw on the wall with a tube of caulk. I was essentially babysitting.

"By the way, Levi, where did you go on Sunday? You seem really distracted today."

The feelings I had done my best to ignore for the better part of two days slammed in to me like a brick wall. I audibly swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly very dry. I slowly lowered the clothing I was looking at, really not interested in shopping any more. "Hanji..." I started, and she gave a small 'hmm' in response, browsing something else a few feet away. 

"Do you... Have you ever learned something that just kind of fucked you up?" I knew my voice sounded kind of hollow, and this made her whip around and stare at me, her mouth slightly agape. 

"Levi, what's wrong? Do you need to leave?" she asked, and the concern was thick in her voice. That's something I really appreciated about Hanji; she could go from ridiculous to serious in a matter of seconds, and she gave undivided attention. I held her gaze for a moment before sighing, rubbing the back of my neck. 

"Yeah, I do. I'm... I'd really like to talk to you about... something," I grumbled, and I could tell this only increased her concern. I hated feeling bared like this, exposed emotionally. This store was way too stuffy. 

"Alright. Let me just go buy this real quick, and I'll meet you at the Starbucks across the street?" she asked, and I nodded. We parted ways at that, and I hastily made my way to the doors that led outside. We were downtown, and had walked from the library to Westlake Center. I had us both come in early today instead of the evening shift, as we were all going out as planned for Erwin's birthday later. Eren had also come in early with us, at his insistence, as he also apparently had plans for the evening. I didn't bother asking, as he had been giving me sour looks all morning, avoiding me like I had some kind of disease. He was also unusually talkative with Hanji, whom he usually was friendly to in a forced kind of way. However, today they were both being awfully chummy. Overly so, if I do say so. 

I was certain he had heard by now what had transpired, but there's no way he could have known it was me. I had made sure to insist that remain strictly confidential because I got the feeling he wouldn't gush about how grateful he was. 

Exiting the building, I pulled my [scarf](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=137066040) tighter around my neck as a gust of wind whirled right in to me, my breath escaping me in a gasp. Fuck it was cold today, much unlike the unusually warm Sunday we had just had a few days ago. Shuffling to the cross walk, I pulled out my phone to flip through my emails waiting for the light to change. Once it changed, I crossed the street to the Starbucks that thankfully wasn't very crowded. I immediately found a table in a corner, so Hanji and I could have some privacy. 

It was about ten minutes before she joined me, her hair disheveled and her cheeks rosy as she made her way over to me, setting down her shopping bags. I frowned.

"I thought you were just getting a sweater," I stated flatly, not really caring, but not wanting to dig in to this heavy conversation quite yet. She just grinned and removed her scarf and gloves, folding them neatly on the table before reaching down to one of the bags. 

"Well, I was just going to get a sweater, but I just had to get those pants you were looking at. You look fabulous in them!" I sighed, groaning slightly as I took the bag she had reached over to hand me, peeking inside to see that she had in fact purchased those pants. 

"Hanji, please..." I muttered. Her smile didn't waver, and she removed her [coat](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=156205469), glancing up at the front counter. 

"What do you want, shorty? Tea?" I shook my head.

"No, this shit's too fucked up for tea. Get me vodka," Her response was a rather loud, sharp laugh. As she stood, she reached over to ruffle my hair that peeked out under my hat, skittering away before I could swipe at her. 

"Coffee it is, then! Be back in a minute!" she quipped, turning to walk away. I sighed again, removing my glasses that had fogged up due to the temperature change. Rubbing at my face, I stared at the table in front of me, contemplating how exactly I wanted to approach this. I knew I should have just left well enough alone, but I seemed to be some sort of masochist with my livelihood. The arrival of a hand sliding a cup of coffee in front of me had me slowly sit up, leaning back in my chair. Hanji just stared evenly at me, concern evident in her expression, but she wasn't bugging me. Good.

"Thanks," I muttered, taking a sip and instantly recoiling. "Hanji, what is this?!" I coughed, wiping my mouth on my sleeve. She chuckled, taking a sip of her own drink.

"I just had them fill a grande cup with as much espresso as they could fit. I think it might be 10 or 12 shots? Not sure," 

Holy shit. I stared at her incredulously, but I couldn't really complain. While the strong flavor was a nice wake-up call, I'd be doing nothing but chilling in the bathroom for the rest of the day. 

"You want me to shit my day away? I swear to god Hanji, if I drink all this, you're paying for the plumbing bill," I groused, taking another timid sip. She just snorted, waving her hand dismissively. 

"Oh you're fine, silly! Your bowels are resilient!" Her voice was a bit too loud, and a few people behind her turned to stare in surprise and mild discomfort. I didn't even feel bad, but I did flip them the bird and they quickly looked away. 

"Anyways, you best hope this doesn't literally come to bite me in the ass tonight." My mood was souring quickly, and I had to consciously push down the feeling of unease in my stomach. 

"So, Levi, what's bothering you? Truly, you've been weird since Sunday. Even yesterday and today you were kind of being a shit to Eren at work," Hanji had the audacity to frown, a look I didn't usually see on her sunny face. It threw me a bit as I caught up to what she had said. 

"Wait, what?  _I_  was being rude to  _Eren_? Hanji, he was glaring daggers at  _me_! I'm not the one at fault for-!" I cut myself off, holding Hanji's inquisitive, but even stare. She didn't push and waited for me to gather myself. I sighed, sitting back in my chair. I had been leaning forward as my words got heated in my misplaced self-defense. I ran a hand through my hair, rubbing the back of my undercut. 

"Right. Well, then, what could you have possibly done to make him upset?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee. "Frankly, I thought you two were getting along quite _well_." 

At that, she waggled her eyebrows, and I didn't even bother to roll my eyes. My entire life, I never doubted or regretted my choices, but as of late, my life was in a shambles. I slowly turned my cup of coffee, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Hanji," I started, and she just stared at me intensely, albeit slightly worried. That was fair, I supposed. "I... Paid off Eren's student loans, and filled his trust fund."

I was suddenly greeted in the face by a fine mist of spit and coffee as Hanji quite literally choked on her drink. Both of us sputtered, her in gasping breaths and I in indignation and disgust, hastily wiping my face with a napkin, grateful I had taken my glasses off. 

"Wha-... what the hell?! Levi, why?!" she coughed, wiping her face with her coat sleeve. I would have been disgusted under different circumstances, but I nervously waited for her to collect herself. I took a sip of my ridiculously bitter coffee, paused, thought better of it, and removed the lid to take a large gulp, downing half the cup. 

"Agh, fuck, that's strong shit..." I'm sure my face was contorted into something unsightly, and Hanji's eyes looked like they were about to come out of her face. 

"Levi... What the fuck has gotten in to you?" Her tone was as serious as I had ever heard it, and I couldn't quite meet her gaze. 

"Let me explain, Hanji. It's... Actually, this is really messed up if I'm being completely honest," I ran my hand through my hair, not bothering to fluff it back in to place as I brushed my hat off in the motion. "I thought this would be something simple to try and help out Eren, but now I'm really not sure if I did the right thing..." I trailed off, and she leaned forward, her face somber, confusion and concern in her eyes. 

"Alright. Well, I was going to meet Erwin for lunch, but I'll text him to cancel if you need to talk this out..." I nodded, and she typed out a quick text to her husband, in which amount of time I took another large gulp of coffee. God damn, this shit was strong. I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders and slouching back in my seat a bit. 

"This is going to be really long, so please, just... Just let me talk, alright?" I knew that if I got interrupted during this, I'd get too chicken shit and clam up. Which I had learned years ago how unhealthy that was for me, because apparently I was 'eerie' as Erwin had put it. Like I was a shell. Hanji nodded, and I saw her hand twitch. It was her habit to hold my hand if I was having a shitty time, and while I appreciated it, my grip around my coffee cup tightened slightly. Slowly letting out the breath I had sucked in, I kept my gaze down at my hands.

"As you know, I left abruptly on Sunday, and yeah, I did go north like you had predicted," Hanji smiled slightly, but I shook my head. "Not for what you thought, though. I..." I swallowed thickly. Fuck, how did I even begin with this?

"I went with the intention to learn, to try and figure out what Eren's all about. I know he's not stupid, and actually he's really hardworking. Hanji, I'm not going to pretend that he doesn't get under my skin," I took another sip of my coffee, tapping my foot as I progressed. She just kept her gaze steadied on me, and I felt so small. "I've known him for, what, a month? A god damned month. How absurd that I let someone I barely know get me all fucked up mentally, but there you go..." 

I trailed off again, tapping my finger in time with my foot, feeling irritated. Hanji remained silent, waiting for me to continue. I licked my lips, recalling my Sunday.

 

I had pulled up to a rather small house just north of Fremont, north of where Eren lived. I had asked Erwin for the favor of finding this address for me, as I knew there wasn't going to be any talking to Eren about things regarding his personal life. I'm a shitty person, and I know this was bordering on creepy, but I felt justified because I honest and truly wanted to try and help Eren.

I wasn't looking for anything in return, and would actually be rather pleased if I could just do what I was able and not have Eren be any the wiser. Yes. Good. Excellent choice.

I knocked on the door and almost instantly bolted when I heard someone call out to wait a minute from the inside. Fuck. 

Footsteps got closer. Fuck. 

My palms were sweaty.

A lock clicked on the other side.  _Fuck_.

The door opened to reveal a tired looking man in at least his fifties, with short sandy blond hair and wrinkles all over his face. I fidgeted with my phone in my pocket, clearing my throat as I reached out my other hand, not so subtly wiping it on my pant leg.

"Mr. Hannes?" I asked, and his expression looked slightly less tired and more suspicious as his hand reached out to shake mine. 

"Yeah...? Can I help you?" His suspicion was justified, I supposed. 

"Hi. I'm Levi Ackerman, Eren's parole officer," I introduced myself, and I noticed his eyebrows knitting together. 

 "Is Eren ok?" Hannes asked, slightly panicked. I waved my hand dismissively, keeping my expression neutral.

"He's fine! Everything is fine, sir. I just wanted to talk to you, if that's alright?" I spoke quickly, and this seemed to present me as alright to him. He nodded and stepped to the side, allowing me inside. I took two steps inside when he asked me to remove my shoes, which I was fine with, but it meant I would be barefoot. I felt awkward and voiced this as such, but Hannes just gave me a warm smile, saying it wasn't impolite. 

He led me towards a rather small, but cozy living room. This house was rather small overall, but it wasn't claustrophobic. It looked well lived in, with photos hanging on almost every wall. Most of them were of Eren and who I supposed was his sister that he mentioned a few times. 

"Have a seat! Want some tea or...?" he trailed off and I gave a nod, walking closer to some of the pictures. "Alrighty, I'll be back in a minute!" His demeanor had shifted to something warm and welcoming once he apparently deemed me as harmless. 

There were so many things lining the walls of this house, mostly pictures, certifications with Eren's and his sisters' names on them, some framed crude crayon drawings, but one picture really drew me in. It was in a standing picture frame on the mantle above an old brick fireplace

Carefully picking it up, I noticed a boy who was unmistakably Eren. It was one of those cheesy family portraits that were so popular in the 90's, and this looked to be a Christmas photo. All the occupants were dressed in varying shades of red and green. The two adults had tinsel around their necks, and Eren and his sister were in coordinating outfits of a red sweater and green corduroy overalls for Eren and a red dress and green tights for his sister. Eren had what appeared to be dirt on his nose, but everyone was all smiles. 

This had to have been right before his parent's passed away, from the looks of Eren's age. I was interrupted in my perusal by a loud clanking sound on the coffee table, and it made me jolt. Thankfully I had held the picture with both hands, and I sheepishly turned to face Hannes, who also looked sheepish from making so much noise. 

"Sorry. I forget how heavy this tea shit can get," he chuckled, and I noticed the tea set was definitely old and mismatched. Charming. Shaking my head, I set the picture back on the mantle, taking a seat in a really large, very old, rather squishy armchair across from Hannes. He poured tea and sat back with his mug, crossing one leg over the other. I tentatively took a sip of my tea, which thankfully was just plain black tea. 

"So, Mr. Ackerman-"

"Levi," I interrupted gently, not wanting to spill tea out the side of my mouth. 

"Ahh, right, then. Levi, what brings you by? How's Eren been doing? I don't know how top secret this..." he gestured vaguely with his hand. "Stuff, is. What can you tell me?" 

Getting right to it, then. Good. Setting my teacup down, I leaned forward, clasping my hands together, elbows resting on my knees. 

"Well, to get right to it, sir, I have concerns for Eren's future," I paused, and he nodded with a sound of agreement. "As you must know, Eren has been serving community service at the library with me, and after getting to know him a little, I have an interest in what his future holds."

I took another sip of tea, relishing the slight burn as I nearly gulped it in my nervousness. 

"I'm fully aware how... untoward this situation is, calling you up on a Sunday out of the blue, which is kind of shitty," I noticed him smile a bit at my awful vocabulary.

"But to be frank, Eren is always stressing about school and finances. I will not pretend that he doesn't fully deserve to serve his time," Hannes nodded.

"However, after finding out that he's going to school on what is essentially a part time job, I..." I rubbed the back of my head, tapping my foot.

 _What the fuck was I honestly doing_?

"I want to help." I said in a rush, and Hannes's eyes widened slightly. He also leaned forward, setting his cup down. 

"Mr. Ack-... Er, Levi," he began, rubbing the back of his neck. “With all due respect, Eren’s not really one to accept charity. He’s really… stubborn about things. Mikasa and he both are, actually.”

 _Mikasa must be Eren’s sister_ , I mused.

Sighing heavily, Hannes looked conflicted, trying to find his words. Before he could speak, I cut in.

“Mr. Hannes, I completely understand what you’re saying. I’m not really… I don’t want  Eren to think I’m doing this out of pity or something shitty, because I get that it’s… hard to ask for help when it’s really important,” I was surprised that my voice didn’t crack or waver in my explanation. Trying to be suave and mature was not something I was good at, and being diplomatic didn’t serve me the best in most circumstances related to my job.

“Like I mentioned before, I’m just concerned for Eren’s future. I completely understand that it’s not my place at all to offer any kind of help, but Eren’s a good kid. He has potential to be really great at whatever he chooses. I just feel that he had a simple lapse in judgement, which put him where he currently is,”

Hannes nodded as he looked around his living room, looking at the many photos laying around. He reached for one on the side table beside the couch, which was a photo of a woman and a baby. I waited patiently while he seemed to be remembering something, his thumb caressing the picture frame gently. I didn’t want to continue as I sensed he was contemplating.

“Carla and Grisha, Eren’s parents, started a trust fund for Eren and Mikasa when they were babies,” he began, his lips thinning and I noticed his eyes were a bit shiny. “Grisha was a doctor at Harborview and Carla worked at a daycare part time. When they had Eren, they asked me to be his godfather,” he smiled, his gaze still on the photo.

I sat back in my chair, hands clenched on my lap to keep myself from tapping my foot nervously. I couldn’t lie, I was really interested in hearing this, even though I felt dirty for it. It was really none of my business, but I was a nosy fuck.

“Eren was Carla’s pride and joy. Grisha and her were elated to hear they were expecting; Carla had always wanted a baby. She and I have-… _had_ known each other most of our lives, and she and Grisha met when he was in college,” He sat back in his chair also, setting the picture on the coffee table, sliding it over to me. I gingerly picked it up, and was frankly startled to see a young woman that looked exactly like Eren. I had been told I looked like my mother, but I had never seen such start similarities between a mother and child. Hannes continued his story.

“When Eren was born, there were complications. I’m not so great on medical terms, but my basic understanding was that she wouldn’t be able to have any more children without posing serious health risk to herself. So, a few months after Eren was born, they adopted Mikasa, Eren’s sister. They were the picturesque nuclear family, a son and daughter, father a doctor.” He took another sip of tea.

“That’s… terrible, about not being able to have more children, though,” I said, genuinely feeling bad for the circumstance. “I have heard of that happening before, and it’s usually something to do with a blood disorder,” I offered, and Hannes seemed surprised by my answer. “Ah, my father was also a doctor, and I myself went to medical school briefly,” I offered. Hannes’ expression looked conflicted, suddenly. I set the photo back down on the coffee table, straightening my posture.

“I can… sympathize with Eren a bit. My parents died when I was in high school; car accident, they had been drinking and chose to drive home from a Christmas party-“

I was interrupted by Hannes suddenly slamming his mug down on the coffee table, his eyes as wide as I had seen them since arriving. It set me on edge a bit and confused me, my hands gripping the arm of the chair.

“Mr. Hannes, are you ok…?” I questioned tentatively, narrowing my eyes a bit. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable.

“Wait right there!” he exclaimed, standing suddenly and disappearing down the hallway. What the hell? I heard boxes shuffling around and papers rustling and I leaned to the side a bit to try and see down the hallway. I saw him come out of a room holding something, and as he came back to the living room I saw it was a newspaper. My eyebrows furrowed as he tossed it on the coffee table, looking anxious.

“I knew your name sounded familiar,” he sounded solemn as he gestured to the newspaper on the table, rubbing the back of his neck aggressively. I reached forward to pick up the newspaper, which was dated December 4th, 1999.

 It was almost as if ice had filled my insides. Suddenly the room felt way too claustrophobic and stuffy, way too many things occupying this space. Taking in a sharp breath, I glanced back up to Hannes, who was looking very pointedly at the wall.

 Hands shaking, I found the article I had briefly seen so many years ago but was in too much shock to fully take it in.

 “At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Friday December 3rd, two vehicles were involved in a f-…fatal accident on Interstate 5. The cause of the accident appeared to be drunk driving. Both drivers and their passengers were killed. The victims have been identified as Grisha and Carla Jaeger. Their two children were not in the car at the time. The drunk driver has been identified as… K-Kushell Ackerman and… oh, no…” I ended with a murmur.

 This was surreal. This could not be happening. I felt myself start to hyperventilate, my hand moving to cover my mouth. I felt sick. The names of my parents were typed there, plain as day, for all to see. The evidence of their crime against an innocent couple sharp and unforgiving. I wanted to leave but found I couldn’t stand.

 “I… I don’t know what to say. I… Fuck, I can’t believe this. Does… Does Eren know this?” I asked, my voice shaky and weak. Hannes sighed, pacing a bit in front of his fireplace.

“I don’t believe so. It was a lot for a 9 year old child to take in right before Christmas, you know?” his voice was bitter and sad, but I felt that it wasn’t directed at me personally. The incredible coincidence of the situation was shocking, to say the least. “He’s never asked about it, and neither has Mikasa. They’re both good kids that don’t let much get them down. They’re also extremely closed off to other people,” he sighed, turning back to face me, his face looking much older.

 “Levi, I gotta say, this is kind of… a weird coincidence. Are you saying you had no idea about the accident?” his tone was suspicious. I shook my head, re-reading the short article again before dropping the paper on the table.

 “No. I mean, I knew they hit someone else, but I was in shock about it. That was so long ago that I never bothered to look in to it again. I just took it as it was; it was right before Christmas, as you said which also happens to be my birthday, but that’s not important.” I bit at my thumb nail, a nervous habit that I had developed over the years. I still felt nauseous but it had quelled a bit and was now just nervous energy.

 “With all due respect, sir, after learning about this, I… I’d like to insist on helping out Eren. And Mikasa. If my parent’s had been more responsible, neither of them would be in this situation. They’d still have parents and…” Taking a deep breath, I had to focus myself. Now was not the time to panic and think about ‘what-ifs’.’

 Squaring my shoulders, I stood up, crossing my arms in front of me.

 “My parent’s left me a sizable inheritance, and if possible, I’d like to pay off whatever is due for Eren’s college, and his sister’s, as well as rebuild their trust fund.” My tone was resolute, and I could see Hannes thinking it over.

 “I really appreciate your sentiment, Levi, but I’m not sure if I could accept that-“

 I held up my hand to stop him.

 “Just tell me how much Eren and Mikasa’s tuition is.”

 He looked skeptical.

 “Please,” I said softly. We stared at each other for a good ten seconds before he sighed again, going to sit back down and pull a tablet onto his lap.

 “Alright, alright… I have to say, your stubbornness rivals Eren’s…” he trailed off as he logged in to something, and I half smiled.

 “Don’t I know it,” I muttered, but he didn’t seem to hear me.

 “Alright. Eren’s going for zoology, and Mikasa’s going for cosmetology. Eren has two more years and Mikasa has one. If you’d like, I can send you a record of what their trust fund started at. It’s…” he chuckled, but it was without humor. “It’s on its last thousand dollars. Neither Eren nor Mikasa would accept my help with their finances. I mean, sure, I got some state assistance to raise them, but both of them have a great sense of responsibility. Never letting me worry about them…” I nodded.

 “That would be excellent. Would you like my email? I will take care of the logistics when I get home. Not much I can do with my cellphone.” He nodded and I gave him my email. I checked the time and noticed I had actually been here for a few hours. My phone vibrated with an incoming email. I opened it up and glanced through the numbers. This was easily something I could take care of.

 “And he just... he just let you pay for all of that?!” Hanji exclaimed. I had basically finished my story, and I felt so drained just from retelling it. She had been god to not interrupt me, although she had shed a few tears when I got to the part about the accident.

 “Hanji… I’m so conflicted. What am I even going to do if Eren finds out? I don’t know how he could, but still…” my foot had been constantly tapping and I’m sure I was wearing a hole in the floor. Hanji rubbed her thumb across the back of my hand that she had been holding for the better part of my talk. I appreciated it, though her hand was getting sweaty.

 “Levi, I… I don’t know what to say, this time. I know you come to me for advice but I really don’t know this time. I’m so, so sorry.”

 I knew she meant it. Taking in another shaky breath, I downed what was left of my now cold coffee, not caring how bitter it was. I was wide awake but felt so exhausted.

 “I mean, it makes sense why Eren would be upset, but you said he wasn’t supposed to know it was you?” she asked, referring to Eren’s crappy demeanor today. I nodded.

 “Yes, but Hanji, he’s not stupid. If anything, I was stupid for thinking I could be covert. Who else would he know that has nothing but money lying around to just blow out?” I nervously ran my hands through my hair, disentangling my hand from Hanji’s. I didn’t really care that my hair was now inevitably sticking up in weird directions as I just put my hat back on anyways. Hanji nodded, picking at her cup lid.

 “What will you do if he confronts you about it?” she asked. “Will you lie? Levi, please don’t lie to him.” Her concern was evident. I shook my head, leaning back in my chair.

 “I won’t lie. But for as smart as I think he is, I don’t see it being a huge issue. To be fair, he probably won’t take it that well, based on what I’ve learned about him from his godfather as well as my own observations.” Rubbing at my face, I felt a constant ball of anxiousness in my stomach.

 “Either way, I won’t see him again until Thursday at the library, so I’m not too worried about it.” Hanji nodded again, though her expression stayed frowning. I frowned right back. “What?”

 “You know Erwin’s going to be pissed, right?” she asked, and her face broke in to her usual shitty grin. I half smiled, tossing my empty cup at her face.

 “I’s perfectly aware of that. I should ask you the favor of ‘soothing his anger’ with your feminine charms or some shit…” Her look of both indignation at having something thrown at her and the disgruntlement at my teasing was highly satisfying. Glancing at my phone, I scooted my chair back to stand. “C’mon. We better get going if you plan to tease your hair to qualify for being 90’s enough.”

 She also scooted her chair back to stand up and we disposed of our trash before stepping outside in to the extremely chilly air. Hanji nudged me with her elbow.

 “Don’t worry about my hair, Levi. If I’m supposed to ‘sooth anger’ by using my feminine charms, my hair will be sufficiently teased.” she snickered, and I wrinkled my nose.

 “Gross.”

 We bantered and harassed each other all the way back to her car, and I for one was actually starting to look forward to my night of letting loose with my friends. It would certainly help me forget about Eren for a while if I could just get drunk and dance with strangers.


	6. Party on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinderella goes to the ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part of the larger chapter that I had written out and it was going to end up being over 10K by itself. But I decided to make it in to two chapters instead, since some of you guys are really anxious to read more. Comments are always appreciated!

* * *

"Annie, please, this spandex is chafing my di-"  
  
"Be quiet, you look fine. You have a nice bubble butt."  
  
"Mikasa, fuck _off_ , I don't need any more eyeliner!"  
  
"Hey! Don't talk to your sister that way, you ass!"  
  
"Ride off, Seabiscuit. Eren's his own man; he knows what he's about," Connie piped up from the couch, taking a sip of his beer.  
  
We were all in varying states of disarray at Annie and Armin's house, assorted makeup lying around on the coffee table. Their house was modest for their small family, but with eight adults crammed in to the living room along with their furniture, it was stuffy. Mikasa and Jean had picked Connie and I up on their way over, and Sasha had driven herself with the plan to stay the night here, or end up back at our place. The other adult was Annie's cousin, Reiner. He had been volunteered as the babysitter for the evening by Annie, who was tired of being left at home when we went out.  
  
I'd gotten home from the library and showered before we all came over here. The plan was to ride downtown in Annie's mini-van. Super slick ride, I know, but it fit us all and saved us the trouble of a cab. She couldn't drink anyways so it all worked out.

Currently I was fending off my sister, who had insisted I needed to wear a little eyeliner to 'enhance my natural attributes,' which meant I had to sit through a grueling session of trying not to cry as a pencil was stabbed onto my eyelid.  
  
Ok, so it wasn't _that_ bad, but I got mildly irritated when Sasha told me I looked 'pretty.' I would die before I admitted out loud that I liked how a little bit of eyeliner looked on me, but I really didn’t think I was pretty. My [outfit](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_3/set?id=157159889) for the evening was a loose black tank top, some acid wash skinny jeans I found at a thrift store, a beanie and a red flannel tied around my waist.

I had been nagged that I would most likely get cold outside in just a tank top and jeans, but for some reason today I had been roasting, due mostly in part to hanging around with Hanji this morning at the library. She had pulled me in every single direction, full of way more energy than I thought was ever necessary, and the heat was cranked in the library, which made me sweaty.  
  
But, it helped me avoid Levi, who I was highly suspicious of. I wanted to confront him, but if it turned out that my assumptions were incorrect, I'd look like a total asshole. More than usual.  
  
The squeal of a baby interrupted my sulking, and all the girls, plus Reiner and Armin, rushed over to the playpen where the babies were rolling around. Jean lingered awkwardly to my left, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Man, I don't know how much more patience I have for this baby talk bullshit..." he grumbled, and I frowned.  
  
"What baby talk?" I asked, confused. I noticed his cheeks get slightly pinker and he looked sideways at me, then to Mikasa who was holding one of the twins, then back to me.  
  
"Mikasa. Ever since Annie had her kids, it's been nonstop talk of how nice babies are, ya know?" Oh. _Oh_. I felt my nose wrinkle as I lightly punched his upper arm, half smiling.  
  
"Gross, man. The last thing I need to think of is what kind of horse-faced creatures you would help create," Excellent, another teasing point for Jean.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, man! Like... It's not that I don't... eventually maybe want that, or something...?" He was getting more and more flustered, and I held both my hands up in front of me.  
  
"Whoa! Slow down, what's with this deep buddy-buddy talk suddenly? You never talk to me." Truly, this was starting to weird me out. "Like, you're not my favorite person, but I deal with you, ya know?"  
  
He nodded slowly, sighing and removing his Mariner's [hat](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_8/set?id=157163920) to ruffle his hair. Clearing his throat, he replaced his hat before turning towards the kitchen, beckoning for me to follow him.

The fuck?  
  
Highly suspicious, I glanced to the group cooing over babies before following him to the tiny kitchen. Jean opened the fridge and took out a can of Rainier, tossing one to me that I haphazardly caught.  
  
"Jean, you know I can't drink during my probat-" He held up a hand to cut me off, opening and chugging his beer in about ten seconds. Crunching the can, he leaned back against the counter as I stood awkwardly in the doorway.  
  
"Mikasa's worried about you, Eren. You never talk to her about things, and I end up hearing the lot of it. Like... Ugh, fuck, I love her, but shit, man, your issues shouldn't be my issues, you know?" He blurted, and I could tell it was nearly painful for him to try and give me a pep talk.

It was honestly laughable, but I felt myself get irritated instead.  
  
"I don't really see how it's any of her business how I live my life, and I certainly don't need to check in with her when I decide to do something. Shit," I glared at the floor, my left hand clenching in a fist and my thumb picking at the pull tab on the beer can in my right. "What's she bribing you with that you would agree to try and give me a pep talk? It's weird."  
  
"Yeah, well, she's not bribing me! What, I can't just do something _nice_ because I'm a good person?" he asked, and sounded mildly offended. Now I was confused.  
  
"What makes you think I even want to hear this sort of thing from you? If Mikasa has a problem, she can just talk to me directly," My voice started to rise, and I vaguely noticed the bustle in the living room falter. Jean frowned, his hands clenching in to fists at his sides.  
  
"She _tries_ to talk to you, but you're too stubborn to listen! She just worries about you, way too much in my opinion, but at least someone is looking out for your dumb ass!" He was all but yelling at this point, and I felt myself growing increasingly irritated.  
  
"Yeah, well, maybe you should all just mind your own business! I've got enough shit to deal with; I don't need more people trying to butt in and fix me!" I was straight up yelling, and all noise in the living room died as Armin rushed in to the kitchen, his expression worried and confused.  
  
"What the heck is going on? Eren, stop yelling!" Ironic, considering he was almost yelling himself. Turning my glare to Armin, I instantly felt bad. Glancing down at my beer, then back at Armin, who's expression shifted into a warning glare, I maintained eye contact as I opened my can of beer.  
  
"Fuck it," I said loudly, gulping down my beer in one go. Mikasa entered at that point, and I stared right at her as I downed my beer. I felt ready for a fight today. Usually I could maintain my chill, but today felt like a good day to kick some ass and flip the bird to the world.  
  
“Eren, you’re not supposed to drink anything! Your probation is done on Friday, you couldn’t just wait?!” Hearing her voice full of emotion, mostly anger, was rare. Finishing my beer, I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, pointing at Jean.  
  
“To be fair, your boyfriend enabled me in this scenario.”  
  
It was so, so satisfying to see Jean look betrayed as two sets of eyes rounded on him. Armin wasn't really one for being upset, but I could tell he was getting distressed. Mikasa started berating on Jean for his mistake, and Armin grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hall, away from the kitchen.  
  
Of all people, I disliked when Armin was upset at me. It took a lot to get him to that point, though I felt in this case he was more disappointed in my bad choice. Even though it was partially Jean's fault. Before I could defend myself, he held his hand up.  
  
"Look, I know Jean was making you upset, but please be careful. From the way you've made it sound, your probation officer-"  
  
"Levi," I cut in before realizing it, and both of us seemed surprised by my correction. Armin raised his eyebrows, but continued.

"Right... Levi. Anyways, it seems he's really a stickler for the rules from what you’ve told me. I know you won't see him tomorrow, but you'll need to see him on Thursday and Friday, right?" I nodded.  
  
"Let's just behave ourselves until he signs off on your papers, ok?" he half smiled, and I looked at the floor, embarrassed of my actions.  
  
"M'sorry," I mumbled, and he patted my shoulder. That's the nice thing about Armin; he knew when he won, and he knew not to nag me when I realized I made a mistake.  
  
We heard Connie call out from the living room that he wanted to get the party started, and Armin and I both laughed a bit before turning and walking back out to our friends. Mikasa and Jean were there, and Jean looked far more defeated than I ever could. I did feel kind of bad for throwing him under the bus, but not too bad as I was always on the lookout for ways to irritate him, just as he seemed to be for me.  
  
Mikasa looked annoyed, but it wasn't very threatening as she had bright blue [eye shadow](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_7/set?id=157163283) on, her hair teased up and the gaudiest pink lipstick I had ever seen adorning her lips. She seemed to be channeling Cyndi Lauper. All of my friends looked ridiculous, but that was the spirit of the thing. We all knew that Seattle in the 90's was all about grunge, but it was way too tempting to dress tacky.  
  
It was easy to find brightly colored, tacky clothes this time of year as Halloween was fast approaching. Sasha was wearing a [neon tutu](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_6/set?id=157162230), gaudy makeup and a metallic scrunchie, Connie had found the most horrendous acid wash [overalls](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_2/set?id=157158819), but Jean, [Annie](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_4/set?id=157160780) and I were all channeling grunge. Armin was unwillingly [wearing](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_5/set?id=157161456) leggings, at Annie's insistence, with an oversize button-up, high top Converse and white tube socks.  
  
"Armin, you look like Jane Fonda. You just need to tease your hair a bit," I mocked, and a few of the others laughed. Armin picked at a strand of his hair, which he had chosen to put up in a bun, though his bangs stayed loose.  
  
"C'mon, Eren, I'm already effeminate. I don't need any help," he whined. "Not that looking feminine is bad!" he added quickly, waving his hand dismissively so as not to offend the girls. Armin worried too much; we all knew what he meant.  
  
"Whatever, I think it's cute," I couldn't help myself to have a laugh at his expense, pulling him in to a one arm side-hug, rubbing my nose on his cheek. He just groaned, shoving at me.  
  
"Alright, alright, break it up, love birds," Connie shoved his way between us, and I had to lean back quickly to avoid the glitter he had deemed necessary to rub on his face. "Let's get this road on the show!"  
  
I decided I would leave my grumpy attitude at home tonight. It wasn't fair to my friends to be a shit when they were trying to cheer me up. To be fair, they could just have easily ignored me for being a "criminal," so it could be worse. I caught Mikasa staring at me from across the room, and I just smiled at her. She could be as pissy as she wanted at me, but I saw her sigh and look away, a small smile tugging at her own lips. I win.  
  
At that point, we all did one last check in the mirror by the front door, making sure we were as ridiculous as possible. Stepping outside made me realize that Mikasa was right; it was freezing ass cold in October at night. I untied the flannel from my hips, putting it on hurriedly as we shuffled to Annie's minivan. We all piled in; Jean got the front seat as he was the tallest, Sasha and I took the two middle seats in the mid row, and Mikasa, Armin and Connie all squeezed in to the back row. It was laughable that Armin had to sit in the back of his own vehicle, and I couldn't help but think we resembled-  
  
"This is a fucking clown car," Jean stated loudly, voicing my thoughts. I laughed despite myself, and as Annie turned the key and backed out of their driveway, Connie piped up.  
  
"Yea, full of ass clowns such as yourself!" We all snickered, except for  Jean.  
  
"Hey! What is this, pick on Jean day?!" he sounded indignant.  
  
"Jean, it's always pick on Jean day," Annie stated flatly, which started off a whole slew of good natured harassment aimed at Jean for the duration of our drive.

* * *

  
The music was loud and the people were lively as we finally arrived. The closer it got to actually getting here, the more irritable I grew. This was totally not my scene, but again, it was Erwin's birthday. I'm now fully confident in my assumption this was all Hanji's idea and Erwin, being completely goo-goo eyed over her, went along with it.  
  
"Levi, this is totally your song!" Hanji yelled over the din of the club. I cringed at the thought of having to yell all night; I spoke softly to begin with. Listening for a few seconds to the song playing, I frowned, giving her the finger. The song was [Mr. Vain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfWb_60lhw0), a nickname I had gotten in middle school for caring about my appearance.  
  
Erwin laughed along with Hanji, his laugh booming even in the loudness of the club. We had hit a few bars before coming here, and he was a bit on the tipsy side. We got stares from other bar patrons for our outfits. [Hanji](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_9/set?id=157373107) had decided against plaid, and [Erwin](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk_10/set?id=157375194) had decided against acid wash jeans, but we all looked pretty grunge. I picked at my [pants](http://www.polyvore.com/vintage_punk/set?id=156185748) that were way too tight, but I didn't get to dwell on it too much as Erwin draped his rather heavy arm across my shoulders, making me stumble as we waited in line at the bar. I wrinkled my nose at his beer breath, not bothering to shove him off as I slid my hands in my pockets.  
  
“You’re lucky I choose not to drink so I can drive your drunk ass home,” I did my best to project my voice. I knew Erwin was far from being completely wasted, but he was well on his way to getting slammed. “What do you even want? It’s almost our turn,”  
  
I felt him lean a bit more of his weight on me, and I bent my knees to accommodate him. He scanned the wall of different bottles, seeming to contemplate his choices. I knew he would probably just order shots at this point in the night. Despite appearances, Erwin liked to party, and Hanji was the absolute worse enabler I had ever met. As it was, she was in the bathroom and had asked us to get her ‘whatever was strong and expensive!’  
  
“Levi, you should let loose. Hanji told me you’d had a bad day earlier…” his loud statement trailed off, and I was certain he knew the details of my ‘bad day,’ and was being decent enough to not repeat anything. I only nodded, which I knew he felt as his arm had moved to his favorite perch on top of my head.  
  
“This would be one of those nights I really wish I was in to drinking like you buffoons are,” I replied. I had driven us here in Hanji’s car, and we had met some of our other friends at the bars earlier. They were going to be meeting us here at some point and had yet to arrive. They lived in various downtown apartments, so they were stumbling en masse through the streets. I was too amused by how ridiculous they looked to offer them a ride, and they wouldn’t have all fit anyways.  
  
“You know you could always just take a cab home, Levi. Hanji has a city parking pass in her car, so it would be fine where we left it.”  
  
I whipped my head to the side, my eyebrows shooting up.  
  
“Are you serious? Why the sudden interest in getting me drunk?” This was highly suspicious and unusual for Erwin to encourage any type of debauchery. As police chief, he did his utmost to maintain any and all order. His response was a simple shrug.  
  
“Live a little.”  
  
Before I could respond, I was violently shoved from behind, a pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders and the strong smell of liquor and perfume assaulting my nose.  
  
“Levi, let’s do shots!” Hanji squealed in my ear, and I was not only mildly irritated at her semi tackle, but also confused.  
  
“What the fuck, you two? You know I never drink, so why-“  
  
“Ohh, Levi, lighten up! It’s a party! You know, yolo? Or something?”  
  
It was finally our turn at the bar and I hadn’t noticed until the bartender set six drinks in front of us. Three shots and three beers. Shit.  
  
“Erwin, what is-“  
  
“Jägerbombs."  
  
“Are you for real, right now?” I couldn't believe this. I’m not going to lie, the thought of throwing caution to the wind and letting loose was so very appealing, and I did have tomorrow off…  
  
“Bottoms up, boys!” Hanji yelled, and both she and Erwin dropped their shots of Jäger into their beers. I noticed them watch each other drink, like it was some contest, which Hanji promptly won, pulling her empty glass away from her lips with a loud, grunting sigh. Erwin finished his a few seconds later, and I stared at them both incredulously. Glancing down at the pint of beer in one hand and my shot in the other, then back at my friends, who were both staring at me expectantly, I dropped my shot and tipped my head back to chug.  
  
I instantly regretted this decision as the bitter alcohol burned horribly, making my eyes water. Hanji’s chant of ‘Chug! Chug! Chug!’ didn't really help, but I finished my drink, all but growling as I slammed my empty glass onto the bar counter. My eyes stung and my throat was on fire, but both Hanji and Erwin gave me a pat on the back. What the fuck, though. Since when did I give in to peer pressure?  
  
"You know I fucking hate Jäger, Hanji," I said with a weak voice and raw throat. I happily took the glass of water that was shoved my way, taking a large gulp.  
  
"That's weird, Levi, I thought you were crazy about me."  
  
I promptly choked on my water.


	7. Take me home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party is hoppin' and the drinks are flowin'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly: Don't worry, there isn't anything non-consensual happening at any part of this fic. With that said, let's boogie!

* * *

 

 

Once we arrived and filed out of Annie's van, we waited briefly in line to pay our cover and enter the club. The music was up really loud, but I instantly recognized the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEXWRTEbj1I) playing. I started bobbing my head, turning to face Armin who had the biggest grin on his face, already bobbing his head along with the music. We had watched Night at the Roxbury hundreds of times, and he and I both began dancing, horribly, in sync with each other, much to the amusement of our friends. 

It was really nice to let loose and forget about my shitty life for a while. Armin and I danced together for the duration of the song, mouthing along to the words as our friends all jumped in to dance near us. A few girls tried to dance between Armin and me, and even a few said we were such 'cute boyfriends.' I played it off, laying the flirting on thickly to mess with Armin, but once the song ended, Annie cut in, giving the girls a glare, effectively stealing her husband back. It was truly adorable, and I patted Armin's shoulder as I walked over to a table my friends had managed to snag in the corner near the bar. 

It was getting more and more busy, and we had gotten here early enough that there was still space to stake out a table, thankfully. It was hot also, so I removed my flannel shirt, tying it back around my hips. Connie and Sasha were looking over the drink menu flip board on the table, weighing if they wanted to do shots or start with beer, Mikasa looking over their shoulders. Jean was sitting in his seat, tapping his hand to the beat of the song currently playing. 

"What do you want, Eren? Soda? Water?" Sasha asked, leaning right in to my face. It was going to be hard to talk to each other in here, I realized. Good thing I didn't have to go to work until tomorrow night; it would give me a chance to recover my voice that I was bound to lose. 

"Water, please. I'm gonna get my dance on; gotta stay hydrated!" I replied, pushing my hands up in a 'raise the roof' motion. Jean snorted beside me at my terrible dance moves as Sasha walked up to the bar to order drinks. I sidled up to his side, thrusting my hips in his general direction to the beat of the music. Mikasa and Connie laughed, and Jean looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"Knock it off, Eren," he whined, shoving at my hips. Though he was smiling, I did stop. I was getting pumped up being surrounded by flashing lights, thumping music and the company of my friends. I hadn't let loose in a while due to my hectic schedule, but I was almost free. Free from the library and free from Levi's iron fist. 

Armin and Annie joined us after the second song ended, both of them breathing heavily. I raised an eyebrow, nudging Armin in the ribs. 

"Bustin' a move on your lady, man?" I teased, and Armin huffed out a laugh. 

"You know it. I'm a master of the dance floor!" Annie rolled her eyes, shoving Jean from his chair so she could sit. He didn't dare argue with her, instead choosing to go stand behind Mikasa's chair, leaning down to talk with her. I wrinkled my nose, and looked back to Armin who had grabbed my glass of water that a waitress had just set in front of me. 

"Hey!" I cried, doing my best to look offended. He just smiled, and I noticed he had gulped down half my water. I pouted. "Rude, now I'm going to have to go back up to the bar and get more. You're taking away valuable dance time." He just laughed, swiping my hat off of my head. 

"Whatever, Eren. I'm sure they have plenty of water for you,"

"He's right, Eren, don't be such a downer," Mikasa piped up, taking a sip of her drink. I noticed she had already downed most of her drink, which I thought was impressive considering she didn't usually go for hard alcohol and stuck with beer. I raised both my eyebrows at her, looking down at her drink then back at her face. She just shrugged. Our non-verbal communication was something I was thankful for, especially in cases like this where it was hard to talk. 

Deciding I might as well offer to buy her next round, as I was going up to the bar soon to get more water, I chugged the rest of my water, scanning over the crowd of people that had arrived recently. I literally spat out my water, coughing violently as I caught the sight of Hanji run by our table on her way to the bar, watching almost in slow motion as she nearly tackled none other than Levi.

“Holy shit…” I wheezed, patting my chest. Everyone was looking at me with concern, but I noticed Armin follow my line of sight, his expression shifting to his calculating stare. He was going to put the pieces together. He looked back at me, giving me a few hard pats on the back as my coughing subsided. Why was Levi here, of all places? This was never a place I thought I would see him. Hanji made sense, to a degree, but not Levi.

“Eren, what the hell? Are you ok?” Connie asked, and Mikasa looked mildly concerned, her face frowning. I was so, so grateful she had mostly gotten over her overbearing babying of me, but I knew I still worried her. I coughed one more time, picking my hat up off the table and fanning my face a bit.

“Whoo…. Yeah, I’m fine. Just swallowed wrong, ugh…” I played it off, and I guess that was convincing, somehow. Armin still looked skeptical, but didn’t say anything. I would hear about it later. I really didn’t want Levi to see me, but I also remembered my suspicions and wanted to get in his face about it. My friends went back to their conversation, and I felt my stomach turning a bit as I stared at Levi’s back. I noticed he was dressed to fit the theme, but I couldn’t really see details other than his pants seemed to be shiny. 

Turning to grab Mikasa’s glass, I confirmed what her drink was as I walked away towards the bar. As I got closer, I thought about what I would say. ‘Oh, hi, Levi, how’s it going? Did you blow your money on me?’ Right. That would go over well. I also thought back on our one-night stand, and every emotion I could possibly feel; confusion, mild arousal, irritation, frustration, all started surfacing. Shit, did I want to flirt with him or fight with him? Before I realized it, I was standing right behind him, and heard his slightly strangled voice say

"You know I fucking hate Jäger, Hanji.”

I quickly put two and two together as I glanced at his empty pint glass with a shot glass in it, realizing what his drink had been. Putting on my best charming expression, I piped up.

"That's weird, Levi, I thought you were crazy about me." 

He sputtered around the water he was drinking, and he turned so sharply around that he stumbled slightly back, bumping in to the other person he was with, who I instantly recognized to be Erwin Smith. Fuck. I fucked up. My stomach turned to ice, and Levi’s eyes were wide behind his glasses, staring at me with the most shocked expression I had ever seen. He had been really weird earlier at the library, and now I was convinced he was really acting strange. Nothing caught him off guard, and his reaction just now made me even more suspicious. I couldn’t really dwell on it, as Hanji had taken notice of my presence and enveloped me in a sudden and crushing hug.

“Eren! What a happy coincidence, meeting you here!” I knew she had to squeal due to the volume of the room, but it was still way too shrill for me. I noticed the heavy smell of alcohol on her breath, and I grimaced.

“H-Hanji, let go!” I gasped, wiggling out of her iron grip. She let go, smiling widely as she gave me a few once-overs.

“Your outfit is perfect, Eren! You look like you came right from a Nirvana concert!”

I took a few seconds to admire her outfit, noticing her really heavy makeup, patchy denim jacket and huge clunky shoes. I gave a half smile.

“You look good, too, Hanji.” I wasn’t lying, her outfit did look really good on her. At that moment, Erwin interjected himself, and I could tell instantly that he had been drinking. His entire persona was disheveled and casual, and it put me at ease a bit knowing that he wasn’t here on any official business. He set his hand on Hanji’s shoulder, and she turned to give him a kiss.

Wait. 

What?

My confusion must have been evident because they both laughed, Hanji patting the hand on her shoulder

“I guess it never really came up before, but Erwin is my husband,” Hanji explained. I felt my eyes nearly bug out.

“So, you guys are all friends, then?” I asked, glancing back at Levi who was still staring at me, though his expression had relaxed just a fraction. Hanji nodded rapidly, nearly bouncing in excitement.

“Yes, Levi, Hanji and I have been good friends since childhood,” Erwin responded, and I felt like he didn’t even have to yell like the rest of us, due to his booming voice. I was still a bit weirded out by him being here, as the last time I had seen him was briefly in the court house after my trial. Levi had walked up to him afterwards and introduced me. All I remember was how intimidating he was, tall and broad shouldered. I nodded, suddenly remembering I had two empty glasses in my hands. I set them on the bar and waited for the bartender to come back. Levi was very obviously not looking at me, and I felt a bit of tension rising between us.

Hanji seemed to notice this and threw an arm around my shoulders, leaning in to talk in my ear.

“Today is Erwin’s birthday, which is why we’re all out to have fun,” she started, and I again nodded. Turning my face towards her, she leaned her ear closer.

“It doesn’t seem like this is really Levi’s jam, though,” I stated, again glancing to him on the other side of Hanji. She gave him a sidelong glance, kicking slightly at his shin before turning back to me.

“Oh, it’s not. Not at all. But, it’s his best friend’s birthday, so he was obligated to come out. I just saw our other friends come in, so we’re going to go meet them on the dance floor and boogie!”

I couldn’t help but feel slight trepidation about being left alone with Levi as Hanji patted my shoulder, waving goodbye as she dragged Erwin out to the floor.

“Nice to meet you again, Eren!” Erwin called, and I noticed Levi sneer at his back as they got lost in the throng of people. At that point the bartender took my empty glasses to fill one with water and to make another drink for Mikasa. As he did so, I leaned back against the bar, crossing my arms in front of me as I stared right at Levi.

“What’s been up your ass lately?” I asked bluntly. No point in beating around the bush. “Besides me,” I added, feeling cheeky. His expression turned to a withering glare, but I could tell I struck something with him. He looked… nervous. He glared at me for a couple seconds before turning back to his empty glass, ignoring my question. Alright, that was fair, I supposed.

The bartender set Mikasa’s drink beside me, and I was about to grab it but a hand came from beside me and snatched it before I could. Turning quickly to tell off whoever took Mikasa’s drink, I came face to face with Armin, who was giving me a pointed look. I wilted slightly, leaning in to talk in his ear.

“Don’t worry about it, man. He’s actually my parole officer,” I spoke as quietly as possible, and Armin reeled back, his expression shocked. He looked at Levi, then back at me, and I just knew I shot myself in the foot by identifying Levi. Armin leaned back in, and I hesitantly leaned my ear to him.

“Judging by your guys’ body language, there’s something going on here that goes beyond professional,” his voice was full of so much conviction. I opened my mouth to counter what he said, but he cut me off quickly. “You can’t lie to me. I won’t tell Mikasa, but try and make good choices tonight.”

I pulled away, my face growing hot. Armin looked way too pleased with himself, nodding at Levi before he turned and went back to our table.

“Eren.” Levi stated flatly, his voice still sounding off. I turned to him, noticing he had gotten another drink. This one was a short glass full of amber liquid that he was intently staring at as he held it lightly with his fingertips.

“Yeah…?” I asked. He didn’t look at me as he brought the glass to his lips, downing his rather full shot. His face contorted in extreme discomfort as he downed his booze. Slamming his glass down with a grunt, he turned to me, reaching out suddenly to grab my wrist.

“Dance with me.”

“What?!”

I let myself be pulled rather forcefully on to the dance floor, and I was so shocked I couldn’t formulate a proper response. I glanced over to my table of friends, and they were all very intently watching what was transpiring between Levi and I. Shit. I noticed Connie and Armin giving each other a knowing look, clanking their glasses together and raising them in my direction. Those jerks. I flipped them off and stuck my tongue out at them, and they just laughed. Mikasa looked confused and irritated, which I assume was due to the fact that a seemingly random man was dragging me around.

Annie, Sasha and Jean all looked mildly surprised. Good. If it was only Connie and Armin that realized what was going on and who Levi was, that was just fine for me. I was brought back to my current reality as my wrist was tugged again, and I whipped my head back to face Levi. It was then that I really got a good look at his outfit, and I couldn’t help but think he looked really good dressed like this. He started swaying his hips to the beat of the music, and I again noticed his pants were shiny, catching the lights flashing. I leaned down, moving my own body to the music.

“Are you wearing leather pants?” I asked, and he nodded. I was so close that I could feel the heat radiating from his body, and I caught a whiff of his cologne as well as the faint smell of alcohol. I lost track of myself briefly as I ran my hands up his arms, taking advantage of my close proximity to his neck by lightly running my lips across a thick vein pulsing there. He shuddered, and I came to my senses, leaning back quickly and removing my hands from his shoulders.

“I… I’m sorry!” I cried, my movement faltering. I was so confused. I needed to decide if I was going to be mad at him, or flirt with him. I hadn’t actually been this close to him since our night a few weeks ago, and now my head was getting fuzzy. I was stone cold sober, but my conflicting feelings were running laps around my brain. Levi didn’t falter in his fluid movements, and I had to give him credit that he was actually dancing some moves, more than just bouncing to the beat like the other people around us.

Suddenly, his hands were on my hips, and I felt my heart begin to race. I looked at his face, and noticed his cheeks were slightly pink. That wasn’t due to the lights.

“Levi… Are you drunk?” I questioned, and he smiled. Fucking smiled at me. If I wasn’t so internally conflicted, I would be able to fully appreciate how adorable that was.

“No, sadly. My tolerance is way too high to be drunk off of one beer and four shots.” His voice was gravely, which I can only assume was from the straight alcohol he had drank. I felt his hands slide up my waist, and I shuddered, my face growing hotter than before. Alright. Fine. If Levi was feeling flirty, I guess I could play in to this. If I wanted to confront him, the best time would be when his guard was down. I could only hope he was here to get drunk with his friends. It was a low-blow tactic, I know, but that seemed to be how we worked things out. "But we could get drunk. Fuck it, why not?" 

I tripped slightly, my mouth parting in surprise.

“Wha- Levi, be serious! Of all people,  _you_  know I’m not supposed to drink until after Friday.  _Especially_  not in the presence of your own boss! Right…? Erwin Smith is kind of your boss…?”

If I was being honest, getting drunk and dancing with Levi sounded really appealing, and if I played my cards right, maybe I could even weasel some information from him. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded.

“Yes, technically he’s my boss. But what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I’m the one that reports what’s going on with you, at my discretion,” he replied, and I felt a sense of deja vu. This situation was so eerily familiar to me. I pressed a finger to his lips, which was a mistake as they felt so warm and soft. 

_No, Eren, focus!_

I shook my head slightly.

"This isn't another ploy to bed me, is it?" I had to ask. I had to clear this up before I did something really stupid like go along with this. One of his eyebrows quirked up, and I realized my finger was still on his mouth. I hastily removed it as if burned and he leaned over to my ear, hands still on my waist as we moved to the music. 

"No, Eren. I truly feel like getting completely smashed tonight, and I'm giving permission for you to do the same. You seem to be really stressed out lately, if this morning at the library was any indication,"

All my breath whooshed out of me at that. I suppose the worst thing that could happen was I got drunk and had to have my sister and friend's drag me home. Although that sounded amusing, I knew Mikasa would be annoyed. I glanced over to my friends, noticing they were all involved in their own conversations, except Mikasa. Jean was leaned over talking in her ear, but she was staring right at me. 

At _us_. 

She didn't look angry, but she was definitely not letting me out of her sight. Truthfully, she was probably more interested in the short man dancing with me than anything else. I saw her mouth move to say something, and Jean whipped around to look out over the floor until he landed on us. Great. I sincerely hoped Mikasa wasn't about to send him out here to be a buzzkill.

As if on cue, I saw him stand and walk around the table and into the crowd of people. Presumably to come fetch me. I saw Armin turn to Mikasa, but I quickly turned back to Levi, who I caught giving me a once over. He noticed that I had seen him do it, but didn't even look the slightest bit embarrassed. I have no idea what he had been drinking, but he was behaving so... normal. I opened my mouth to say something, but was stopped when I felt another pair of hands grab my shoulders. I groaned and Levi’s friendly look turned in to a sharp glare instantly at Jean.

“Hey, man, we miss you up there!” he stated rather loudly, despite the din of the club around us. I turned on my heel, giving Jean the best glare I could possibly muster, but he only looked slightly put off by it. Damn. His stupid, cocky half smile was even more irritating than usual, and I leaned right in to his face.

“Tell Mikasa to mind her own business. I can handle myself just fine!” I all but yelled, and a few people around me gave me dirty looks. I ignored them. Jean held his hands up and shook his head.

“Like I actually wanted to come out here, but Mikasa said it was really important that you go talk to her…” he trailed off, and I leaned around him slightly to look up at Mikasa, who was making a beckoning motion with her hand that was not occupied with another full drink. Great, drunk Mikasa. Rolling my eyes, I sneered again at Jean before turning back around to explain to Levi what was going on.

Only, I found myself looking at a wall of strangers, Levi nowhere in sight. I turned and did a quick sweep of the floor, spotting Erwin and Hanji a little ways away, but Levi was so short I doubt I would have seen him. Snorting to myself, I turned back to Jean, who was doing his best to try and dance a bit in place so people wouldn't bump in to him.

“Whatever, let’s go.” I sighed and followed him as we wound our way back over to the table. Connie and Sasha were missing, but Mikasa, Armin and Annie were sitting there. I sat down in Jean’s chair before he could stop me, and he grumpily sat across the table, pouting. Setting my hat on the table, I propped my face on my hand, elbow resting on the table as I turned to face Mikasa, who had quite a pink face.

“Alright, sister dearest, what’s so fucking important?” I was being a snarky asshole, but I couldn’t help it. She contemplated her drink for a few seconds before looking at each of our friends pointedly. Armin took the hint and engaged Annie and Jean in a conversation as Mikasa turned in her seat to face me. I just raised my eyebrows.

“Eren, who was that guy you were dancing with? I saw you meet him at the bar and you seemed to know him,” she questioned. I could tell she wasn’t upset in any way, and was just curious. I rolled my eyes, reaching over to swipe her drink and take a large sip before she could stop me. I winced a bit, realizing this was a long island iced tea. Literally just alcohol and some Coke for color.

“Hey! Eren, you can’t drink!” she cried, taking it back with wide eyes. She actually whined a little bit. I smiled, reaching over to shove at her shoulder.

“Apparently I can. That guy was my parole officer, oddly enough, and since my “sentence,” I made quotations with my fingers. “Ends on Friday, he gave me the o k to celebrate for good behavior,”

This was partially true, and I felt really bad that I could lie so fluidly to my sister, but I was also banking on her being just tipsy enough not to question me. Luck seemed to be on my side as she looked thoughtfully at her drink for a few seconds before nodding.

“Alright, I guess if he says it’s ok… But, Eren…” she trailed off, and I had to lean in to hear her. Her face looked puzzled. “Why was he dancing with you?”

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Crap. Thinking quickly, I laughed and hoped it didn’t sound as weak and forced to her as it did to me. I noticed Jean look over with furrowed brows, but I pressed on.

“He’s really weird, Mikasa. I don’t think he knows how to properly handle social interactions,” That, I knew for a fact. Levi was, by far, the _most_ awkward person I had ever met. He tried so hard to act suave and cool, but his terrible vocabulary and stand-offish posture betrayed him. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it!” I waved my hand dismissively, rubbing the back of my neck with the other. She seemed convinced, if not a little bit unsure, and that was good enough for me. I quickly swiped her drink again and sucked harshly on the straw, effectively draining the last of her mildly watery beverage.

She protested again, but I scooted back and left my chair before she could land a smack on me. I felt my face break out in to a grin as I shuffled backwards.

“Toodles!” I yelled, and turned to make my way up to the bar. I noticed Levi was back in his barstool, and he was surrounded by Erwin and Hanji, and a few other people I didn’t recognize. I nervously made my way over, not sure if I should try and butt in, or if I should just wait. My question was answered as Levi turned and caught my eye. I noticed him visibly tense, and he kicked his leg out, his shin connecting with the back of Hanji’s knees to scoot her out of the way.

She stumbled slightly, catching herself on one of her friends’ shoulders.

“Levi, why?!” she whined, and I again smiled. As trying on my patience as Hanji was, I really liked her, as we’d had some really interesting conversations as I ‘did my time.’

“You’re in the way, Shitty Glasses,” Levi groused, and five pairs of eyes turned to look at me, all of them seeming to notice that Levi wasn’t even looking at them. A short redheaded woman smiled warmly at me, and I felt instantly at ease. I held my hand out to her, and she took it, giving it a light shake.

“Hi, I’m Eren,” I stated, and all of them exchanged quick glances with each other. I had no idea what that was about… Well, no, I probably did, if I knew anything about Hanji and her love of gossip, these people probably knew what had transpired between Levi and I.

Quelling those thoughts, I shook hands with the two men in the group. One of them looked constipated and tried his best to look disinterested, and the other grabbed my hand rather roughly, pulling me in to… Did he just  _smell_ me?

I was weirded out, but smiled anyways. Their names were apparently Petra, Auruo… Oluo? Oreo…? It was too loud to really hear. And Mike, who I swear to god tried to sniff me. I turned to Levi, who was slouching on his stool. He looked grumpy. Well, grumpier than usual. I sidled up to his side as his friends went back to their conversation, but not before Hanji gave me a jab in the ribs and a hearty wink. Thanks, Hanji. I rolled my eyes and rested my forearms on the bar, waiting for the bartender.

“Here. I figured you’d be back,” Levi muttered in my ear so suddenly I jumped, and he slid a shot glass in front of me. I quirked an eyebrow, glancing at him as he downed whatever was in his own shot glass. Lifting it, I gave a light sniff, instantly greeted by the sharp scent of black licorice. But it wasn’t black liquid, like Jäger. It was murky green.

“Levi, what is this?”

“Absinthe.”

“Jesus!” I exclaimed, and Levi jumped slightly at my outburst. "Sorry," I added quickly, giving him a glance before I tossed back the shot. It burned. It burned a lot, and it made me cough, my eyes watering.

"Holy shit," I wheezed, taking a swig of Levi's water. I coughed a few more times, feeling the sting in my throat. “Wow, that’s some really strong shit. I feel like that could launch me in to space.”

Levi gave a snorting laugh, motioning for another round. I raised my eyebrows, leaning closer to him.

“So, if this isn’t some ploy to bed me again, why are you being so charitable?” I was justifiably suspicious. Levi was a by-the-book kind of person according to my short time with him, though he did like to bend the rules. Case in point of our one-night stand, and now drinking before my probation was up. He just shrugged, but I noticed his jaw clench a few times. My eyes narrowed, but I didn’t comment on it.

“Am I not allowed to let loose and have fun, Eren? I didn’t realize you were my parent,”

The way he said ‘parent’ struck me. Almost bitterly.

“Right,” I stated flatly as another round of shots was placed before us. Levi had already drank way more than me, but if he was buying, I’d certainly drink it. We each had another few rounds of shots after that and I was starting to feel it. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I nearly dropped it as I fished it out, swiping the screen on.

 **Sister Dearest** :  _You need to slow down, you know you have a low tolerance._

I couldn’t even be mad at her for that because it was completely accurate. Despite appearances, I was totally weak to alcohol. Four shots was probably going to do me in and one of my friends would be tasked with the unfortunate experience of dragging my drunk ass out of here. Me being drunk was always slow to build. I got to experience warm fuzzies first, and then it would all suddenly hit me out of nowhere. Kind of shitty, but the warm fuzzies always lasted mostly an hour.

I looked over to the table my friends were at, and I noticed Mikasa and Jean making out, which was gross, and I typed back ‘thx mom’ and pocketed my phone again. Her phone lit up on the table, but she paid it no mind. Wrinkling my nose, I turned back to Levi, who I noticed had stood up.

“Are we going to go dance again?” I asked, and he stared at me for a good five seconds, like he didn’t understand the question.

“Uh, yeah, we can, if you want to.”

That was the sloppiest sentence he had ever put together. Unsure, lazy vocabulary was not something I associated with Levi, but maybe he wasn’t quite as suave and put-together as I had originally thought. I asked the bartender to make sure Mikasa got her drink, as I had just taken her glass without thinking. 

Levi gestured his head to the dance floor, and I grinned, sliding off my bar stool to follow behind him. Definitely not staring at his leather covered ass.

I couldn’t help but feel like I had Levi all wrong. He was most definitely acting weird tonight, but it may have been due to the alcohol he had been drinking. A new [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsd5FfMql8) started playing, and I was captivated by Levi’s dancing. This wasn’t your average bump and grind club dancing. This was like real, full body movements. Legitimate steps, arm motions, hip sways. It was like watching professional choreography to a song that I had heard a few times before when I was younger. He mouthed along to the words as he danced. I did my best to get in to it, but I also wanted to just stand there and watch him.

 _One more night_  
_Show me things that I never knew_  
_This night it felt right to be near you_  
_One more night_  
_Give me all I want and some more_  
_Oh baby I'm waiting_

I definitely felt the effects of four shots, but not so much that I was out of it. A pleasant, warm feeling was writhing its way through my body; just enough to lower my inhibitions. Perfect. There’s no way I was ballsy enough to actually dance with Levi, in public, in front of my friends, without the aid of some liquid courage. 

 _Something in your eyes told me to stay_  
_I don't know if I’ve seen it right but to see_  
_You this way makes me say, "Oh baby, I do"_

I saw my friends dancing together in a loose group a few feet away from Levi and I, and I caught brief gazes with a few of them. Connie and Sasha gave me a thumbs up, Mikasa looked curiously at my choice of dance partner, Jean was not paying attention to me whatsoever, and Annie and Armin were intimately dancing with each other.

 _One more night this time_  
_I hold your body very close to mine_  
_You make me feel the tenderness_  
_Moving inside of you_  
_So tell me the reason that it's_

Levi’s group was also close by, and they were all being not subtle at all in their gawking. I felt mildly embarrassed, but warm hands on my hips drew my focus elsewhere. It was hard to see Levi’s eyes through the lights reflecting off his glasses, but my eyes drifted to his lips that were continually mouthing along with the words.

 _One more night_  
_Show me things that I never knew_  
_This night it felt right to be near you_  
_One more night_  
_Give me all I want and some more_  
_Oh baby I'm waiting_

His hips swayed and his shoulders rolled to the beat, and his hands seemed to push and pull me, as if guiding me in his dance. I gladly followed his lead, allowing myself to close the gap that I had subconsciously kept between us the whole time we had been together tonight. I was doing my best not to be my usual awkward self, but I doubt Levi would have cared.

 _I wanna feel the grind_  
_Feeling your heart beat close to mine_  
_Go on and drown me in your magic_  
_And your passion, oh baby, I see why_

I felt my heart racing as his hands drifted to my waist, my hands mimicking his movements, seemingly of their own accord as we pressed against each other, our movements synchronizing in tandem. My chest hurt from the force of my heart slamming rapidly, and I knew my face had to be as red as it felt.

 _One more night_  
_Show me things that I never knew_  
_This night it felt right to be near you_  
_One more night_  
_Give me all I want and some more_  
_Oh baby I'm waiting_

I just knew I was going to get myself in another mess if I kept dancing, but honestly I really, really wanted to see how far this night would go. As annoyed and as suspicious as I was of Levi, I could not deny my obvious attraction to him. It pissed me off because by all accounts, I shouldn’t like him, much less find him suitable for any type of romantic interest. I felt his hot breath on my neck. Generally, our height difference would make his mouth at around my chest level, and I hadn’t noticed he was wearing boots that boosted him up a bit.

That amused me so much I huffed out a short laugh, and he glared at me so sharply my breath caught in my throat. The same lights that had made reflections on his glasses before were now glinting in his eyes.

Fuck, he was so pretty, how did I ever get lucky enough to catch the attention of someone like him? Also, since when did I get so… sappy over someone who was basically a stranger? His glare melted away as another song started, and his hips started moving again, hands sliding up my back. I shivered, eyes fluttering as I bit my lip. The song that played was much more upbeat, and we danced pressed together, hands wandering slowly, tentatively, as if we were both feeling the uncertainty between us.

We stayed like that, wrapped up in each other through a few more songs. There was a brief moment when our faces were a mere inch apart, our breaths mingling warmly, hands shaky as we leaned in closer. My lips parted slightly, eyes sliding shut as-

“Leviii, come have another round with us!” Hanji burst between us, effectively making us both stumble back a few inches. I blinked in mild confusion, but Levi looked furious.

“Shitty glasses, what makes you think I want-!”

He was interrupted by a rather large arm across his shoulders, forcibly steering him towards the bar. I was still a bit dazed, realizing after a few seconds that Levi’s friends had just stopped us from kissing. I stood there awkwardly, trying to reign in my raging emotions. I let out a deep breath, rubbing the back of my neck as I looked around me, noticing my friends weren’t around me anymore.

I turned to go back to our table, looking over to the bar where Levi’s friends were proceeding to coerce him to drink more, and failing miserably as he looked extra grumpy. I half smiled, shimmying my way through the throng of people on the dance floor. I removed my hat as I got to our table, running my fingers through my hair that was the slightest bit damp from sweat.

Armin raised a brow at me, taking a hearty swig of his beer. His expression was full of amusement, but I was way too tipsy to bother arguing with him about it.

“Bustin’ a move, Eren?” His voice was way too high. I looked at his glass suspiciously, then glanced to Annie who just shrugged.

“Armin, are you drrrunk?”

All of us looked surprised at my slur. I _never_ slurred my words. Damn it. Armin leaned forward, a shit eating grin on his face. Annie turned away, hand barely covering her smile.

“I don’t know, Eren, maybe it’s not me you should be worrying about. You seem pretty sauced." I couldn't deny it, so I just shrugged. Annie and Armin exchanged a look that I didn’t like. "Getting toasty in here, man..." 

"Whatever, I'm an adult. I do what I want."

_Real mature, Eren._

I kept my gaze focused on Levi, who was currently listening intently to something Erwin was saying. His lips were in a thin line, and he again looked nervous. I felt conflicted. I so very badly wanted to satiate my curiosity, but I also wanted to keep dancing and see what happened. I felt my warm fuzzies melting in to legitimate drunkenness, so if I was going to make bad choices, I'd need to do so soon so I at least remembered in the morning when I was hungover. 

I clapped my hand on Armin’s shoulder and leaned in towards his ear, which he happily moved closer to me.

“Look, man, I… I know you know what’s going on. I’m gonna leave my hat here, so babysit it for me, alright? I like this one.”

His expression softened somewhat, and he gave a quick glance to Annie over his shoulder, who just rolled her eyes. She was used to our antics, as Armin’s response was a quick kiss on my cheek and a pat on the back.

“Ok, honey bear, just be home at a reasonable hour!”

“Don’t be a dilhole, Eren,” Annie added, and Armin and I laughed. Giving him another pat on the shoulder, I made my way back over to the bar, passing Connie and Sasha on my way up, their hands full of drinks. Connie nudged me with his elbow, and Sasha winked.

“Wow, thanks for spilling the beans, dude,” I griped, and they just laughed.

“Have a nice evening, Eren!” Sasha called as they kept walking to the table. Shaking my head, I suddenly felt way more confident about myself. It seemed my friends were aware of what I was doing, and at least had a loose idea of what had already happened. I knew Armin definitely knew what was going on, and had most likely told Annie. So, it was likely that only Mikasa and Jean weren’t clued in yet. Perfect. It could stay that way.

I got up to the bar and leaned a little too harshly against the bar top, making Levi raise a brow at me curiously. He gave me a few once over’s, lips curving in to a smirk. He was holding a shot glass that was only half full of something, and he held it out to me. I stared at it for a few seconds, then flicked my gaze to his face. He patiently held the glass out to me.

“It’s not full of roofies, Eren. It’s just rum.”

He sounded amused, and I pouted, taking the glass and tossing it back. It burned, a lot, and I coughed a bit as I set it back on the bar. My head was feeling fuzzy around the edges, and, feeling ballsy, I reached over and removed the hat Levi was wearing, putting it in my back pocket. His entire body tensed at my action, and I could see him visibly swallow.

A Daft Punk [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGBhQbmPwH8) started playing, and I grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him to his feet and out towards the dance floor. He stumbled a bit as he followed me. I didn’t regret my choice, as I was feeling way too pleased with myself to reflect on any potential repercussions. I was still fully aware of what I was doing, I just… didn’t let it bother me.

C’est la vie, or something. At the very least, I could dance to this song, and once we found a place to occupy on the dance floor, I turned around to face him. He removed his glasses, pulling a case out from his back pocket. How I failed to notice that before was beyond me, but now I could really see his face accurately.

Fuck it all, I was going to follow through with my choices.

I swayed my hips to the beat of the song as my hand let go of Levi’s collar, sliding to rest on the back of his neck. My other hand rested on his hip. Every emotion seemed to flicker across his face; nervousness, uncertainty, probably a bit of happiness. His hands took up their previous places on my waist, though they wandered to my back after a few seconds. I shivered at how warm his touch was, biting my lip as I examined his face. He was pointedly not meeting my eyes.

I moved my hand from his neck and lightly grabbed his chin, which made his eyes instantly flick to meet mine. I bent down slightly to reach his ear.

“I don’t know what your deal is, but relax. I just want to dance with you.”

My voice was a bit scratchy from alcohol, and I let my lips brush against the shell of his ear as I spoke. I felt him shudder, and I bit my lip again. I guess my body had decided to be flirty instead of fighty, which was just fine. I could harass him with questions later that week.

I jumped slightly when I felt a hand on the back of my neck, toying with the ends of my hair. I moved to straighten up, but Levi held me in place. I could feel his warmth, and being this close to him was messing with my head. He smelled like his usual cologne mixed with alcohol and sweat and I would be a liar if I said I didn’t find that really sexy.

“The eyeliner was a nice touch, Eren. It really makes your eyes stand out… More than usual.”

Levi’s voice was about as rough as mine was, only a bit deeper and I did my best to stifle a groan. His hot breath on my ear and our synchronized dancing was getting me heated in the worst possible way. The pressure on the back of my neck subsided and I stood back up, noticing that his face had a pink tint to it. I was going to go ahead and blame a combination of alcohol and heat for that, but my brain betrayed me by flashing images of our night together. His face had been pink and flushed, then, too, and now it was stuck in my head. 

I swallowed thickly around a sudden dryness in my throat, and nervousness started creeping in around me. My heart was racing as I did my best to quell not only my thoughts, but parts of my body that I didn’t really want to come out to party.

Levi seemed to notice my discomfort, and I saw his lips quirk at the corners as he moved his hands across my back, one moving upwards to my shoulders, and the other moving down to rest on my ass.

“Ohh, no…” I muttered, though I knew he heard me. His eyes glinted, though I’m sure it was from the flashing lights, and the hand he had moved upwards slid in to my hair. My eyes fluttered shut for a few seconds, all of my nerve endings lighting up in a combination of drunkenness and mild arousal.

“If you really want me to, I’ll stop, Eren,” he stated quietly, though he made no motion to move his hands. I didn’t really want him to stop. Shaking my head slightly, I leaned down only an inch from his face.

“I wasn’t telling you to stop, really… Just trying to calm myself down more than anything,” I felt embarrassed when he gave a short laugh in response. He knew that consent was a big thing with me, which put me at ease that neither of us were going to push our luck. It made me relax, and, feeling a bit bolder as I felt myself getting more and drunk, I shifted my stance to gently rub my hips against his.

I heard him gasp as his hand tightened in my hair, obviously not expecting that. I had never worn leather pants, but I was certain that they had to be extremely tight and uncomfortable, if his strained expression was anything to go by. His eyes closed for a few seconds, and I mimicked his previous motion by running my hand up the back of his neck and in to his hair, feeling him shudder again.

“Eren…” he trailed off, and I knew he wasn’t really sure what to do. From the get-go this morning at the library, he had been jittery and weird, but now he was relaxed and… dare I say pliable? Definitely not as strung out. I knew the song was ending soon, so I focused more on touching him, and he seemed to have the same idea.

I kept it in the back of my mind that we were in public in a sea of people, but the feeling of his fingers in my hair, on my hips and across my back was making me dizzy. I noticed his breathing get heavier as I felt his hot breaths on my chest. I pulled back a bit to look at him, and noticed him staring at me with a sudden intensity that surprised me.

I was about to ask if something was wrong, but he leaned forward, his hand that was on my hip pulling me closer, pressing us together. Now it was my turn to gasp, the friction between us causing my head to spin. I felt his hot lips lightly kiss the pulse point on my neck, and I whined. Not loud enough for other people to hear, but enough that I heard him huff out another laugh.

It suddenly felt very stuffy in here, and I knew it was a combination of alcohol and our dancing, but the familiar rush I felt playing this teasing game felt way too good to try and leave. Rapidly I felt myself fall into a drunken state, but I did my best to focus on our dancing. I knew I had to look so sloppy compared to Levi’s fluid movements, but there was no way he wasn’t at least partially drunk. Maybe not as stupid as I was getting, but I didn’t pin him to be so bold as to grab my ass without assistance from booze.

I was about to say something when I noticed the music fade out quickly, and the guy running the D.J. booth spoke over the crowd.

“Alllllllright, kiddos, who’s having a good time tonight?!”

The response was a loud roar of whoops and screams from the crowd around us, mixed with some clapping. I sighed and made to move away, but Levi held me firmly in place. Alrighty, then.

“I don’t usually do this, but I have a special request tonight for a birthday in the hoooouse!” The DJ shouted and the crowd cheered louder. I felt Levi tense, and I quickly put two and two together to realize this was probably Hanji’s doing. I had no idea what she would even pick.

“Now, this is a bit older than the 90’s, but not by much! Classic jams never hurt anyone..." he trailed off, and I recognized the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RR6xJ0gWH8) that started up even in my drunken state. I actually liked this song, and I thought it was fitting as I was considering calling it a night. I wanted to hang out more with Levi, but I also really wanted to lay down and not be in public anymore. 

 _I feel a hunger - it's a hunger_  
_That tries to keep a man awake at night_  
_Are you the answer? I shouldn't wonder_  
_When I feel you whet my appetite_

The tone of the song lent itself to a slower rhythm of dancing, and we did just that. I vaguely took note that my friends had come out to the dance floor as well, but my main focus was on Levi, who seemed unusually in to this song despite seeming irritated about it a few seconds ago. 

 _With all the power you're releasing_  
_It isn't safe to walk the city streets alone_  
_Anticipation is running through me_  
_Let's find the key and turn this engine on_

I mouthed along to the words, as did Levi. I felt excited and charged that we both seemed to know the song, and were focused on how our bodies touched.

_I can feel you breathe  
I can feel your heart beat faster, faster_

Our bodies got closer together, hands wandering more than earlier. The rest of the dancers seemed to melt away. Levi’s movements seemed to be getting more deliberate.

 _Take me home tonight_  
I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light  
Take me home tonight  
Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang  
"Be my little baby, oh-oh-oh"

Our eyes locked, and my hands framed his face just as his arms wrapped around my neck. I felt him pull down slightly.

 _I get frightened in all this darkness_  
_I get nightmares I hate to sleep alone_  
_I need some company, a guardian angel_  
_To keep me warm when the cold winds blow_

We held each other's gazes, hot breaths huffing out and mingling between us. Our hips touched, and I hissed at the friction.

_I can feel you breathe  
I can feel your heart beat faster_

"Do you wanna get out of here?" Levi's words were slurred, but I nodded, focusing more on the movement of his lips.

 _Take me home tonight_  
_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_  
_Take me home tonight_  
_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang_  
_"Be my little baby, be my little baby_  
_Oh-oh"_

Levi slid one of his hands away from around my neck and reached back for his phone. I was mildly disappointed at the lack of contact, but he was only on it for about seven seconds before pocketing it again. 

"I paged a ride for us..." he drifted off, and I just nodded again. My eyes felt heavy.

 _Just like Ronnie sang, I say_  
_Just like Ronnie sang_  
_"Be my little baby, baby my darling_  
_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh"_

"It'll be here, soon."

"Right..." I replied, noticing his eyes flicker to my mouth. I swallowed thickly, feeling like I was going to burst.

_I feel a hunger, it's a hunger_

I crushed my lips to his, my hands still framing his face. I noticed his eyes slide shut as mine did the same, a small, muffled moan slipping from him.

 _Take me home tonight_  
_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_  
_Take me home tonight_  
_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang,_  
_"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, be my little baby"_

His hands slid in to my hair and mine hugged around his shoulders, pulling him as close as possible. He didn't protest.

 _Take me home tonight_  
_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_  
_Take me home tonight_  
_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang,_  
_"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, be my little baby"_

I felt a slight vibration and we pulled back from our kiss. Levi reached back to slide his phone out of his pocket, the dull light illuminating his blotchy red face.

"Ride's here." 

 _Take me home tonight_  
_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_Take me home tonight_  
_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang_  
_"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, be my little baby"_

We held hands as we hurriedly shoved our way through the crowd towards the door, stumbling as the alcohol had set in to both of us. I heard a few whoops and cheers that I vaguely recognized as my friends, but I kept my focus on Levi as we finally made our way out the door and in to the nearly frigid night air. It did little to sober me up as we clumsily climbed in to the back of a Prius that was waiting by the curb.

_Take me home tonight  
I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

The last images I remembered were Levi's face illuminated by the streetlights we passed, and the beautiful view of the Seattle sky line as we rode down the freeway. The feeling of probing hands and fevered kisses were my last sensations before blissful darkness greeted me.

_Take me home tonight_

 


	8. White flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long, I have no excuse OTL But please leave comments! As always, you can find me on tumblr at sm-dc.tumblr.com

* * *

 

The sound of birds outside, rain on the roof and the grumbling of a coffee pot were the serenade of the morning as I opened my eyes slowly. I felt the smallest pang of a headache, but thankfully was not going to be violently sick with a hangover. I yawned and ran a hand down my face, arching my back in a stretch for only a brief second as I felt a weight on my chest and hot breath on my neck. It had chilled rather than warmed me. I paused, slowly glancing to the side and coming within mere inches from Eren's sleeping face.

Oh my god.

I quickly assessed the situation, realizing we were both in just our underwear. Relief briefly washed over me; if I was at least still dressed in that much, then nothing happened. I really had to piss, though, and Eren's arm was wrapped around my torso, his body pressed against my side. There were other parts of me that were also trying to wake up, and I had to get out of bed quickly before that became an issue.

In a half hungover state, I had done my best to slide out of my bed and slink to the shower without disturbing Eren, who only mumbled in his sleep. I was thwarted in my attempt to be quiet because my phone chose that moment to ring noisily.

I had a brief moment of panic as I couldn’t locate it in the pile of clothes on my floor. I would deal with my anxiety about clothes on the floor later, but I hastily swiped the screen to answer the incoming call without looking at who it was, worried it had woken up Eren.

It hadn’t, thankfully, since he just flopped over and grabbed my abandoned pillow. Cute.

“Yeah, hi, what?!” I hissed.

“Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine!”

Crap. Hanji.

I sighed, giving Eren one last look over as I shuffled in the bathroom, closing the door behind me softly.

“What the fuck, Hanji, it’s eight in the morning,” I hissed again, and she just hummed.

“I know! I was calling to see if you guys wanted to go get breakfast with us. I’m sure you’re feeling crappy from drinking so much.” Despite her cheerfulness, I could tell she'd had a long night and was exhausted because her voice was scratchy. I heard faint grumbling in the background from what I recognized as Erwin, as well as some other voices. The rest of our group must have gone to Hanji and Erwin's after the club.

“I guess I’m glad to know you idiots survived. And what do you mean ‘you guys?’ Pretty sure I live alone, Hanji.” I really didn’t want to be teased so early in the morning. She just snickered and I rummaged a clean towel from my linen cabinet.

“Don’t be like that, Levi. We all know you were puttin’ the moves on Eren last night. And if his sister freaking out after you left was any indication, logic says he’s with you.”

At that, I paused in my task, arm still stretched towards the shelf.

“His sister? Um… Mikasa? What was she saying?” The last thing I needed was an angry sister on my ass for assumed things that didn’t even happen. "And don't talk to Eren's sister. You talk too much-"

“Oh, hush, it's fine! She was mostly just lamenting loudly how her ‘little brother was so debaucherous’ and ‘god I hope he uses protection’ and ‘but why that guy he’s so short and not cute,’ you know; the usual sisterly things.”

I rolled my eyes.

“As long as she’s not out for my blood, I couldn’t care less about what she says,” I quipped impatiently. “If you have nothing important to say, I’m hanging up. I feel disgusting and need to bathe before Eren wakes up.” No sense in hiding it now, I suppose. Hanji’s response was a squeal.

“Petra, Erwin, you each owe me $5! Eren went home with him!” I rolled my eyes, but smiled softly anyways. Of course Hanji would bet on that kind of thing.

“Bye, Shitty Glasses.”

“Ah, Levi, wait, what about break-!”

I hit the button to hang up, setting my phone on silent in case Hanji tried to call me back. I quickly brushed my teeth then removed my underwear, which was the only thing I was wearing besides socks, and turned on the shower. I didn’t remember taking off my clothes, but I distinctly remember taking off Eren’s in a drunken frenzy.

Shivering despite the heat of the shower, I made quick work of my usual routine, not really caring about being meticulously clean and just wanting to get on with my day.

That was how my morning had started, and I sighed, running a hand through my still damp hair. I hadn’t bothered getting dressed, only slipping on a pair of sweatpants and tank top before padding into the kitchen to get coffee and figure out what to make for breakfast to avoid a hangover.

As I was cutting a bagel in half, I heard noise from my bedroom and I closed my eyes briefly, hearing Eren groan as he either stretched or realized where he was.

“Where the hell…?” I heard his voice, rough from sleep, and I half smiled. “Oh, nooo… “ he groaned again, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he wandered in here. I heard him go into the bathroom, and I set about pouring coffee and setting it on the island for him, then tending to my breakfast.

A few minutes later, the sound of soft footsteps in the hallway alerted me to his presence, and I didn't bother turning around as he pulled out one of the bar stools, sitting down and grunting in thanks for the coffee. We were silent for a few moments as I waited on the toaster.

I heard the faint tapping of his fingers on his phone screen, small groans escaping him as he no doubt caught up on missed texts.

“Hey, did we…?” Eren asked softly, cutting through the silence. I knew what he was asking, and I was grateful that I could give him a solid answer.

“No. We were both way too drunk for that,” I answered and he sighed in relief. “You did grope me in the cab though,” I added, and he just groaned. I wasn't sure if he actually did, but I couldn't resist messing with him. “Are you hungry? I have bagels, and fruit. I think there’s eggs in the fridge, too, if you want to bother with that mess-“

“Levi.” His voice was a bit stronger than it had been a minute ago, and it made me tense my shoulders.

"Yeah...?" It took everything I had to keep my voice calm as I turned around, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed over my chest. Eren had black smudges under his eyes, presumably from the makeup he wore last night, and his hair was messed up and sticking up in odd places. He was also sans pants and was just wearing boxers, his flannel shirt lazily draped over his shoulders. It was adorable.

“Um… thanks for not pouncing me when I was drunk.”

I felt my jaw drop open, and he sheepishly took a sip of his coffee.

“Wha-… I, uh, you’re welcome…? Eren what the hell, I wouldn’t take advanta-“

“I know!” he added quickly, waving his hand frantically. “I know, but just, you know… I’m not used to that kind of courtesy from guys, I guess?”

My brows furrowed.

“I won’t judge you, but that sounds really crappy. I’m sorry…?” I offered, not really sure how to respond to that. Eren shook his head, waving his hand frantically as he swallowed another swig of coffee.

“No, no! I’m not saying that anything, uh, 'untoward' ever happened to me. I just mean that most guys I’m with at least harass me for, uh… stuff. When I'm drinking,” he was getting flustered, and I waved my hand dismissively.

“It’s fine, I get it,” I grumbled as the toaster popped behind me. So far this was amiable and even pleasant. I turned around to take my bagel out and smear it with a large amount of cream cheese. “I will say you have really poor taste, then.”

“Well, yeah, I slept with you, didn’t I?”

I whipped around, eyes wide in shock. Eren just stared evenly at me, feigning innocence as he sipped his coffee. I felt the corners of my lips curl upward.

“So sassy this early in the morning, damn.”

One of his eyebrows quirked, but he didn’t respond. Instead he chose to look out the window. I moved to scoot out a barstool and sit across from him, sliding half my bagel across the island and setting down my own mug of coffee. The sliding sound the plate made on the granite made him wince, but he accepted what I offered with a small ‘thanks.’

We sat there in relative silence with the exception of the rain outside, neither of us really talking. I figured I would take him home once the rain let up, but judging from the way water was running down the windows in little streams, that wouldn’t be any time soon.

"I'm glad I don't have a hangover. That would be such a bitch..." Eren spoke softly around a mouth full of food, but I didn't mind it so much. His voice was still a bit scratchy. I nodded in agreement, sipping the last of my coffee before moving to get more.

"Needless to say, it's a good thing you didn't have to be at work today. Driving home in the rain would be gross."

He just nodded, but I could feel the tension rising slowly the more we made useless small talk. I sat back down with my coffee and Eren cleared his throat.

"Hey... Levi?" The soft tone of his question gave me goosebumps, and I did my best to keep my face impassive, looking to the side towards the window.

"Yeah?" I replied just as softly. I saw him lick his lips out the corner of my eye.

"Can we... Can I ask you something?" his voice was small in the vast emptiness surrounding us, and I almost missed it over the sound of the rain on the skylights.

Instantly my stomach twisted in knots, though I wasn’t sure why. Was he going to bring up our one night stand? Or maybe last night? I did my best to bite my tongue on the sarcastic comment of 'You just did, Eren.'

"It was you, wasn't it?”

I blinked, hands tightening on my mug as I turned to stare right at Eren. He stared evenly right back at me and I felt my eyebrows furrow.

“I’m… not sure what you mean, Er-“

Both his hands smacked the table with a loud thunk, making me jump. His calm demeanor, I realized, had been forced as his eyes were now alight with fire that hadn't been present in his sleepy state moments before.

“Cut the crap, Levi.” He didn’t yell, but his voice was strong and void of any sleepiness. I was genuinely confused.

“Eren, what the hell-“

“You paid off my tuition.” he paused, and he stared directly at me. “And Mikasa’s.”

It wasn’t a question.

Shit.

I swallowed thickly, mouth suddenly very dry. There was no way Hannes had told him, but I internally cursed at the fact that even I had admitted that Eren was smart. Smarter than I realized. Yes I had toyed with the idea of telling him, but chickened out at the last second. Now it was coming to bite me in the ass.

What should I do? Play it off and keep pretending I had no idea? Or own up to it and deal with the repercussions like an adult?

Slumping my shoulders, I gave a slight nod, and he let out a rather heavy sigh. Almost defeated.

"... Why did you do that?" The softness was back in his voice as he moodily glared at his coffee mug. I merely shrugged. I wasn't expecting him to deflate so easily.

His relaxed expression turned to a sharp glare. It put me on the defensive, hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I sighed, running a hand through my hair and not bothering to make it neater.

"It was my money to give. I thought you would put it to better use than I could," my tone was purposefully kept low, though I had to project a little bit due to the dull roar of rain that had picked up. His glare didn't soften and a slight nod was his only motion.

"I don't need or want a sugar daddy, Levi. I was managing just fine on my own,” he spat bitterly. "I don't want to be a charity case."

I noticed him getting a bit more irritated but I had to applaud his effort to remain calm. I looked to the side at nothing in particular to avoid his eyes that were alight with fire beneath his calm exterior.

"That's not what my intent was," I started, softly tapping the side of my mug. "Trust me when I say you cannot afford your bills and college on a part time job. I will not say you didn't fully deserve what you got for community service, but I've come to learn over these few weeks that you're not a fuck-up and deserve a bit more than what you've gotten in life."

I could tell he was surprised by my answer. Perhaps he had expected a bit more struggle, but I couldn’t lie. Didn’t want to lie.

“Well…! I guess… Thanks…” His voice had started loud and indignant, but what I had said wasn’t incorrect. We both knew it. However, I knew this wasn’t done. He seemed to retreat a bit, mulling over what he wanted to say, as well as waking up a bit more. I merely sipped at my coffee, not caring that it was still too hot and was burning my tongue. Eren took in a breath and I knew he was going to speak again.

"So, why are you being so nice to me lately?"

"... Excuse me?" I was confused. I thought I had been nice to him all along, but yet again my shitty communication skills had betrayed me. Eren licked his lips, also looking confused and mildly annoyed.

"More than usual, the past few days, you've been really timid and nice. It's kind of weird, just based on what I've learned about you. Like, I know I don't know you as well as Hanji does, but, um... Oh fuck it, I don't know..." he rubbed the back of his neck, getting flustered. I laughed slightly through my nose.

"Glad to know it's been well received."

At least I knew he wasn't angry about other things, or seemed not to be. He was genuinely just confused about my reasoning.

"Hmph." Eren grunted, and I leaned forward over the counter, resting on my folded arms.

"Really, though? Of all the things you could ask me, you ask why I'm being nice? You don't fight me on using my money like that?" I felt a bit of relief that this seemed to be steering out of dangerous waters. Eren perked up at the mention of my money, a look of eagerness crossing his face.

"Yeah, about that, actually! How the hell, and no offense, but how do you even have so much money? I know people working for the state and library don't make that much."

That was a fair question. That was also completely accurate.

"My parents left me a sizable inheritance. They made investments in Microsoft way back in the day, and it goes without saying how well that took off," The look on Eren's face was comical, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. "They were very careful with their money, and didn't spend much of it. They weren't extremely extravagant people, despite what this house might tell you."

He seemed to digest that for a bit before speaking up.

"So then, why do you have a job? It's not like you need to be making money, right? I mean," he gestured around the room. "This has got to be all paid off, if there was tech money involved in it, right?"

I raised my eyebrows, once again surprised about how sharp Eren was. I was liking this conversation more and more as I didn't have to explain the fine details of investments and stocks.

"To be fair, it's not that I need a job so much as I want a job. Something to do with my day so I'm not here by myself all the time. It's depressing, in every sense of the word."

Understanding flashed across his face, and I felt a small pang of guilt for knowing the reason why.

"Right on. So, are your parents tech people, then? Do they still live here, or did they retire to Florida?"

I knew he was trying to be funny. I knew he was being conversational and pleasant. I knew this, yet the pang of guilt from before twisted in my gut like a knife. I couldn't panic.

Taking a large gulp of my mostly cold coffee, I shook my head, looking down at the dregs in the bottom of my cup.

"No. They were both in the medical field, but they're, uh..."

I felt the air go icy and heard Eren's breathing catch slightly. He had to know what my phrasing meant.

"I... I see. I'm sorry," he muttered, and I saw his hand twitch as if to reach over to me. I waved my hand dismissively, my eyes landing once again on his face that was laced with sadness. He knew how I felt; he'd felt the pain of loss.

I was going to be sick.

Luckily, Eren continued.

"My dad was also in the medical field. He was one of the top doctors at the hospital, but, uh... "

He didn't have to finish his sentence. I knew what he meant to say. Even without my newly obtained knowledge, I could tell by his tone of voice; almost wistful. My leg started tapping against the rung of the barstool it had been resting on. My feet didn't quite touch the floor due to their height, but I wasn't really bothered by that right now. I stood up, walking over to rinse out my mug and put it in the dishwasher.

It felt stuffy in here, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep my shit together. It was still raining outside, and that was concerning as I would have to take Eren home at some point, and I knew neither of us fancied riding on my bike in the rain.

Eren decided at that point to get up and walk over to the coffee maker, gesturing at it with his mug.

"Um, I'm guessing you're done, so can I...?"

I quickly nodded, pushing down my unwanted thoughts about how quaint and nice it was to have Eren here. His presence was somehow calming to me, usually, with the exception of this morning. I leaned back against the counter, too nervous to sit back down. Once Eren sat back down, took a sip of his coffee and burned his tongue, I felt a bit more at ease with the silence.

"So, not that this isn't nice," Eren started. So much for silence. "But I feel kind of gross and I was wondering if I could maybe use the shower? I still have this crappy makeup on-... well, most of it probably rubbed off on your pillow," I winced at the reminder. I waved my hand at the hallway.

"It's fine, go bathe. I fully agree that you're gross." I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the smile at bay at Eren's look of indignation. "Go on, shoo. Hopefully when you're done the rain will let up."

"Hmph," he groused, but scooted back to go anyways. I sighed in relief when he disappeared around the corner, slumping back against the counter. I heard him moving things around in the bathroom, and grimaced at the sound of metal falling on the floor.

"Piss!" Eren yelled, picking up the only metal thing in the bathroom, a cast iron soap dish. I snorted loudly at his select cursing, his grumbling reaching my ears before he turned on the shower.

Once the water started, I hurriedly took my phone out of my pocket, hastily swiping the screen on. Predictably, there were missed calls from Hanji, one from Erwin and even a text from Petra. I quickly hit redial on Hanji's number. It barely rang once before she answered.

"Levi! Did you change your mind about breakfast?! Does Eren want to come? We're going to-"

"Hanji, shut up for a second. I need help," I hissed, and she faltered. "I'm ok, nobody is hurt. I just need advice," I added before she panicked. "I only have a minute, but Eren's in the shower and we've been talking this morning. We've steered so close to 'that' topic and it's giving me anxiety. Should I just tell him?" I blurted as quickly and quietly as possible, not even waiting for Hanji to confirm if she understood. She was quiet for a few brief moments that felt like hours. "Hanji, please."

I glanced to the hallway as she hummed on the other line, thankfully still hearing the water running

"I'm going to pass this to Erwin. Hang on a sec,"

There was muffled scuffling on the other end of the line before I could protest.

"Lucky for you, Hanji had you on speakerphone, though from the look on her face she wasn't expecting this type of call, Levi." Erwin sounded completely sober and awake, but I didn't dwell on how irritating that was as he had drank way more than me.

"Ok, Eyebrows, what should I do then? I don't have a lot of time to-" There was the sound of something dropping in the bathtub, and I heard a muffled curse before Eren yelled.

"Just the soap! I'm ok! Don't come in here!" I sighed in relief.

"Ok!" I yelled back.

"Was that Eren yelling just now?" Erwin asked, sounding amused. "How odd to hear you yell, Levi." I was getting agitated and began pacing around my kitchen.

"Yes, he dropped the soap," I bit out, and heard Hanji laugh in the background. "Ugh, fuck off, please. Focus!" Erwin just chuckled.

"Well, Levi, you need to decide if you're ready for a fight and for loss. I will never say 'I told you so'-"

"I would, Levi!" Hanji screeched in.

"Go outside, you!" Erwin's voice was amused, and I heard a faint smacking sound, which made me wince at their antics; he'd probably smacked her bum. Gross

"Quit flirting with your wife and help me, damn it." Both of them laughed for a few seconds, and then I heard a door shut in the background.

"Alright, I went to the bedroom and turned off the speakerphone. I can't understand words that well with it. Phones should be better quality by now, but-"

"Ok, whatever, just... Just tell me what to do. I trust your judgement, despite what some recent actions show," I said irritably. He just hummed thoughtfully in response.

"I believe you should let Eren know what you know," he jumped right in, and I listened intently. "Be prepared for him to be angry, or upset with you; if what you said is true and he really does not know the fine details of the accident, this will be quite shocking. Put yourself in his place, Levi. How did this information make you feel?"

I paused for a moment.

"Sick. Like ice dropped in my stomach. It was surreal, I suppose..." His response was a hum.

"Right. Since this is public information, he could have come across it at any time, but you said his god father thought Eren had never heard of it?"

I nodded, then remembered he couldn't hear that. "Yeah. Eren was young when this happened, and it was shocking. Hannes said he never bothered sharing the details because he thought them irrelevant and unnecessary for small children to hear. Completely valid, in my opinion. To be honest, I never looked in to it either; I didn't see any reason to."

Erwin hummed again, and I shuffled to the hallway, hearing Eren's voice singing something lowly in the shower.

"Exactly. Be delicate, Levi. This will be a lot to take in, and you may want to be prepared for Eren to do something dramatic. He seems to be a person of extremes." At that, I snorted a laugh.

"You have no idea," I mused, and heard the water stop in the bathroom. My panic came back full force. "Ok, he's done in the shower, so I guess it's now or never."

"We're here if you need us, Levi. Choose your words carefully if you wish to maintain Eren in your life." I frowned.

"... What's that supposed to-"

"Hey, Levi, where are towels?" Eren's voice sounded out down the hallway.

"Have a nice day, Levi." Erwin gave his goodbye and the call disconnected, and I didn't like the near sing-song quality of his vocal tone. I sighed, setting my phone down on the counter.

"Cabinet next to the sink!" I called back. I rubbed both my hands down my face, feeling nervous. How would I even approach this topic? How did you begin something like that? 'Oh by the way, my drunk parents killed yours?' Yeah, that's the ticket.

Soft footsteps sounded in the hall, and I gathered my resolve as Eren came back into the kitchen. He half smiled.

"Did you really stand there the whole time I was in the shower? You're funny, Levi." I winced. Please don't flirt with me. Eren stood opposite me, leaning against the island and sliding his phone screen on. "Man, I'm surprised this still has battery in it. Like 52%, dang. Mikasa's been on my ass this morning, though. I love her to death, but she's so stifling sometim-"

"Eren," I cut in sharply, and my voice must have been louder than anticipated because he jumped slightly.

"Yes?" He was definitely more awake and even chipper after getting some food and coffee, and I hated to bring his mood down. I just sighed heavily, crossing my arms in front of me.

"You know how you asked me earlier why I've been so nice to you?" I could see the confusion in his expression, and he responded with a slow nod. I felt like scum. "Right, well... I wasn't being completely honest." I was going to vomit. I just knew it. Eren's brows furrowed, and he turned his phone screen off and set it to the side.

"Ok? Look, you're being really weird, but I don't know what the big deal is." I closed my eyes and mentally counted to ten before I continued.

"Alright look, I'm going to tell you something that's probably going to piss you off, but I need you to hear me out, ok?" I heard a tremble in my voice, which did nothing to soothe Eren and only seemed to agitate him more.

"... Ok, but... Please tell me you don't have, like... An STD or something, because, like, that sucks, but we're both adults-"

"No!" I quickly responded, shaking my head. "God no, nothing like that. I would have never-... Anyways, no. No, this is... pretty heavy, actually." At his sigh of relief, I just decided to press on. Fuck all. "Ok, so, I want to be honest with you. I'm a terrible person," I saw him open his mouth to protest, but I held my hand up. "No, no, let me finish. I'm a terrible person and this has been eating at me. I believe I told you a few weeks ago that I do my best to make choices I don't regret, and roll with the punches I receive,"

Eren just nodded slowly in understanding, taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee. I continued.

"Well, I learned some things recently that really... fucked me up, for lack of better phrasing." Again, he just nodded. I pressed on. "Eren, I've been what you might call "nice" because I feel really guilty and... I was trying to do something to placate that guilt, but it didn't do anything."

His shoulders slumped, almost in relief, and he half smiled.

"Guilty over what? A one night stand? Give me more credit, Levi, my ego can handle-"

"No, about your parents." I

 cut in and my voice trembled slightly. My hands had balled into fists at my sides without my notice, and at Eren's confused expression, my breath caught in my throat.

"... What about my parents? They died a long time ago, how would you even-"

"Because if it wasn't for my parents, yours would still be here."

There was a brief, tense silence.

"... Levi, what are you-"

"Our parents both died in a drunk driving accident... the same accident."

There it was.

Hanging between us.

"Levi... what are you saying? Your parents...?"

I sighed, flexing my fingers at my sides. I couldn't look away from his face; confused, alarmed, and hurt.

"Our parents were both killed in a car accident one December. Apparently, they worked together at the same hospital; my parents and your father. They..." I swallowed thickly, my voice sounding funny to my ears. I had to get through this. Crossing my arms again, I slouched a bit into myself, but still held my head high.

"They had all attended a Christmas party that night at the hospital, and, knowing my mother, she had too much to drink, and-"

"I get it, " Eren cut in, bitterness laced in his tone. "I don't need details. "

I knew Eren had no idea. I knew I shouldn't be the one to tell him. I watched his face carefully, his eyes suspicious, knuckles white from his grip on his coffee mug. I could tell he was taking it in, processing, weighing the options. He held his mug carefully and walked past me and into the dining room to one of the large windows.

I didn't know what to say. I had no words, and I knew he wouldn't want pitiful, meaningless comforts. He needed a minute to think it out.

"Eren-"

"Don't, Levi. Let me think."

I closed my mouth so quickly my teeth clacked together. I hadn't chosen my words carefully. I had just blurted things out, too panicked to think it through. I wanted to comfort Eren but had no idea how. He was absolutely frozen, but I could see him trembling just slightly. Whether it was with rage or sadness, I wasn't sure. But I knew he was going to blow up like a raging volcano, either with cutting words or brash actions.

"... So," he began softly, and I listened intently. "That's how it happened, huh... " he trailed off but I wasn't going to say anything. "I guess I probably could have looked that up a long time ago, but I never... It's not..." he was struggling to find the words, and his voice sounded strained.

I hesitantly took a step in his direction, and he glared at me over his shoulder.

"Eren, just let me explain-"

I was cut off as something whizzed right by the side of my face. I t

hankfully ducked in time as Eren had thrown his coffee mug at me. It smashed against the wall behind me, cold drops hitting my feet as the liquid spilled onto my spotless floor, but I wasn't mad. I couldn't be.

I had braced my arms across my face and over my head, and as I slowly lowered them, I took in Eren's red, blotchy face and eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Eren..." I said softly, reaching my hand out to him. He instantly recoiled, hands balled into fists.

"Fuck you, Levi! How could you?! What makes you think anything about this is ok? You think you can just..." his hands moved wildly in vague gestures. "Just buy my good favor?"

"Eren, that's not-!"

"How long have you known this?!"

"Since Sunday! But, Eren-"

"I knew it!" he exclaimed loudly, pointing an accusing finger at me. "I knew it was you I saw!"

"You saw me?" Now it was my turn to be confused. "Where? "

“On your bike. You drove by my workplace, but I thought it was weird so I kind of dismissed it, but I knew Hannes was acting weird. Just… augh!”

Eren's hands balled into fists and pressed against his eyes, and he began pacing around the living room. I felt anxious and on edge, but didn't know what to say.

“Ok, you know what, no.”

Eren straightened up and marched right at me. I braced myself for a barrage, closing my eyes tightly. He just breezed right by me, towards the bedroom.

I whipped around, following after him and got to the bedroom as he was shoving on his shoes.

“Eren, we can't leave right now. It's raining too hard, my bike won't-”

“I'll call my sister.” He stated flatly, straightening up to his full height. I had to admit, the fire in his eyes was a bit intimidating. “I can't be here right now, Levi. This is just… too much.”

With that, he breezed past me and down the hall. I followed quickly after him into the kitchen, where he grabbed his phone from the counter.

“Eren, can we talk about-”

“No,” he cut me off, opening the front door. Rain had started falling harder, but it didn't seem to phase him. “Bye.”

The door slammed shut behind him, and I was left there in the entryway, hand outstretched and mouth slightly agape. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I felt sick, but also slightly worried. As far as I knew, Eren didn't know my address, so how was he going to tell his sister where he was?

“Damn it.” I grunted, moving quickly to slip on a pair of shoes and grab my rain jacket before running out my front door to go after Eren.

He wasn't outside on the porch like I anticipated. Ugh. I quickly shuffled to the edge of the front yard, looking both ways down the street but there was no sign of Eren.

“Eren!” I yelled, not really expecting an answer. The sound of heavy rain was my only response. Sighing heavily, I pulled out my phone from my pocket, swiping the screen and dialing. I pinched the bridge of my nose, slowly trudging back to my house.  It only rang once before being picked up.

“Hey, can you come over? I… I fucked up.”

 

 


	9. Free fallin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some good news!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and kudos. They mean so, so much to me and I really appreciate them. That said, here's just a smaller filler, but important, chapter. Next chapter will be out soon, so stay tuned! You can always send me asks on my tumblr at sm-dc.tumblr.com!

“So you just… left?”

I sniffled, hands stuffed in my pockets. 

“Yep.”

“Eren it was raining!”

“Sure was.”

“You didn't even tell him where you went?”

“Nope.”

“Eren, you're such a jackass.”

“Jean, you equine fuck, not now.”

“Eren!” The barista at the counter called, and I stepped forward to grab my coffee. They had spelled my name ‘Aaron’ on the cup. Good old Starbucks. I took a sip and found it satisfactory, shuffling back to my friends who already had their coffee. 

“Can we go now?” I asked grumpily. I was done at the library for the day, and Jean had insisted on meeting me afterwards, bringing Armin with him. Why I had no idea, but they had been skulking around the library for the better part of an hour, which had annoyed not only me, but also Levi and surprisingly Hanji. 

“Yes, good, let's go.” Armin seemed relieved to put some distance between me and the library. We exited Starbucks, and followed Jean who seemed to be walking with purpose. I took another sip of my latte, walking beside him, Armin on his other side. 

“So, what's so important that we need to have a bro-date?” I was suspicious, and Armin looked just as intrigued. Jean looked nervous. I squinted my eyes at him, adjusting my hat that had slipped in the wind. 

“Look, first off, you guys are my best friends,” Jean started, and I snorted. He glared at me, and Armin smacked my arm. 

“Eren, be nice!” he chastised. I clicked my tongue and rolled my eyes. 

“Thanks. Anyways,” Jean pressed on. He wiped his palm on his pants. “Even though you're a shit, Eren, you guys and Connie are my buds and I need your help.”

Both Armin and I raised our brows at that. Jean was kind of a dick and didn't get all emotional about anything. 

“Did you knock up Mikasa?” I asked with a whine. “Because I'll kick your sorry ass-”

Jean choked on his coffee, and Armin made a sound similar to a squawk. 

“Jesus, Eren! No!” he wheezed, coughing a few times. “We use protection and she's got pills and shit- anyways, no, nothing like that.”

I sighed in relief.

“Don't kill him, Eren. He's being unusually sentimental today. He bought our coffee, even.”

I nodded, though I still gave Jean a nasty side eye. 

“Then what? I know you've been trying to get chummy with me lately, and it's weird.”

Jean groaned, giving me a withering look. 

“You're exhausting,” he sighed, fidgeting with his baseball cap. “Ok, fine, I tried to be delicate because _you're _delicate, but I'll just be straight with you.”__

__Armin and I exchanged a look of confusion. Jean looked between us before stepping forward a few steps and stopping to face us in the middle of the sidewalk._ _

__“I'm gonna ask Mikasa to marry me.”_ _

__He said it so quickly I almost didn't catch it. Armin gasped beside me, and I just felt tingly._ _

__“Huh?”_ _

__“That's great! Good for you, man!”_ _

__Armin and I spoke at the same time, and Jean half smiled, rubbing the back of his neck._ _

__“Yeah, I mean, we've been dating for almost 6 years, and I know she's been the one since I met her, so, you know…” he trailed off, and while Armin was smiling, I knew my face was in a grimace._ _

__“Were you even going to ask me first?” I snapped, and both of them gave me withering looks._ _

__“Don't be a pill, man. You're not her dad and this isn't the 1800’s.”_ _

__I scowled, looking to the side. I was aware i was being childish, but this wasn't news I was in the right mindset to accept. I was jostled by a smack to the back of my head, and was surprised to see it came from Armin, his brows knit together behind his glasses._ _

__“Don't be a butt, Eren. This is big news and you should be happy for your sister. And Jean. Now drink your coffee and buck up.”_ _

__His tone was so stern, and I just blinked in a bit of shock. Looking between Armin and Jean, I sighed._ _

__“Yeah, alright, ok, damn…” I grumbled, and both of them looked pleased at my admission of defeat. Jean clapped me on the shoulder._ _

__“Excellent! Look, I know we don't see eye to eye, but I'd appreciate if you would put your personal drama aside for a few hours because I need to go ring shopping.”_ _

__“Ughhhh…” I griped, taking a large gulp of coffee. “Alright, let's do this, I guess.”_ _

__Jean nodded and turned to resume walking. Armin smiled warmly at me, nudging my arm with his. I couldn't keep frowning at that, and half smiled despite myself._ _

__Two hours later found us at our third jewelry store, and my patience was wearing thin. It had mostly been Armin helping Jean, with my occasional input that negated whatever they had picked. Mikasa was not an extravagant person, and Jean kept trying to pick these over complicated rings._ _

__“She works with her hands, idiot. She won't want something obtrusive.” I stated irritably, to which Armin looked thoughtful and Jean sighed heavily._ _

__“I know,” he said lowly, staring at the rows of glittery rings in the case. “I just want to get something that shines as bright as she does.”  
I reacted with a retching sound, and Armin responded with a sound of admiration. _ _

__“You're going to give me cavities…” I trailed off, walking slowly down the counter. I walked only a few inches before my eyes landed on a particular ring. “Hey, look at this one.”_ _

__I beckoned them over, and Jean shuffled over to look at thering I was pointing at. It was very detailed and was exceptionally sparkly, though it held a charm that felt familiar. _ _

__Jean’s eyes widened, and I made eye contact with one of the sales people, who had been fettering around while we were browsing. She looked excited when I beckoned her over, and her smile was large and polished._ _

__“Is there something you'd like to look at, sir?” she asked sweetly, and I held back a cringe._ _

__“Uh, yeah, that one.” Jean pointed it out and she withdrew it from the case, handing it to Jean on a small cloth._ _

__“This is one of our older styles, but it's very classic and unique with the filigree detail. It's more of a vintage look-”_ _

__“It's perfect,” Jean was almost in awe of it. “I'll take it. That's the one. Mikasa will love it!” He was getting progressively more giddy as he stood there, much to the amusement of Armin._ _

__“You have to give her the ring size, silly. So they can order it.”_ _

__I was a bit surprised by Armin’s answer until I remembered that he had done this a few years ago, taking me and Mikasa with him._ _

__A hand landed heavily on my shoulder, which made me jump slightly and turn to face a widely grinning Jean._ _

__“Thanks, man. I knew bringing you would be a good Idea. That ring is just… it's so Mikasa, you know?”_ _

__I just nodded slowly, half smiling. My sour mood was slowly melting away._ _

__“Yeah, well. I was struck by it because it looks like my mom's,” At the mention of my mom, Armin and Jean sobered slightly. “I know how much Mikasa liked mom's jewelry, so it would mean a lot to her, I think.”_ _

__They both just nodded, Jean shaking my shoulder a bit._ _

__“I didn't know that, but thanks for sharing. You're actually really cool when you try, Eren.”_ _

__“Aww, you guys are gonna make me cry. It's just so sweet.” Armin sniffled and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye._ _

__That broke up our mood and I grimaced, shoving his shoulder as he laughed._ _

__Jean went to work out details with the sales person, and Armin and I lingered by the door._ _

__“By the way, would you be willing to babysit for us on Halloween? Annie’s company is hosting a party and since she's kind of important there, she should go, you know?”_ _

__“Why can't her cousin do it?”_ _

__“He has to work, and I know you don't because I already asked Connie and he said you have the night off.”_ _

__Damn. He trapped me. I took a sip of my coffee, mulling it over. On one hand, my probation would be over by then and I could go out and drink. On the other hand, I didn't really feel like partying much or being social._ _

__“Yeah, sure, that's fine. But you have to pay me in blowjobs,” he choked on his coffee, and I just smiled, leaning right into his face. “You're so good at them, it's no trouble- ah! Hey, don't hit!”_ _

__I laughed, rubbing the back of my head where he had smacked me. His face was pink and his eyes glinted behind his glasses.  
“Don't say that kind of stuff in public, Eren! Gosh!” _ _

__I just continued to laugh, pulling him in a one armed side hug and nuzzling his cheek._ _

__“Aww, don't be like that, honey bunch. You know you love me.” I teased him and he whined, shoving at me but smiling anyways._ _

__“No I don't, Eren. Suck a dick, please!”_ _

__I scoffed._ _

__“Oh, well, since you asked so nicely-!”_ _

__“Hey! Homos! Break it up, I'm done now!”_ _

__Jean interjected, looking mildly uncomfortable. I grinned, moving away from Armin and grabbing Jean in a full hug._ _

__“Aww, does Jean-Bo feel left out? Don't worry, Armin doesn't mind sharing.” I nuzzled on Jean while Armin laughed, holding the door open for us as we exited the jewelry store._ _

__Jean shoved at my face, smiling but looking incredibly awkward as we walked. Armin sidled up to him, linking their arms together._ _

__“Ugh, why did I invite you fruits, anyways…” Jean grumbled, and we teased him the whole way to the bus stop._ _

__Once we got in the bus, Armin and Jean sat together, talking about proposal ideas, and I sat by myself. I slipped into a bit of a daze, staring out the window._ _

__I was finally at the end of my probation, and had to go to the courthouse tomorrow for a final evaluation by Levi. It worried me greatly, as I hadn't spoken to him at all today, but he seemed to understand._ _

__To be honest though, he looked like shit. His hair was a bit disheveled, shirt untucked and extreme dark circles were more poignant than usual. It threw me off a bit when he walked in an hour late looking like an unmade bed, but I didn't want to talk to him._ _

__Hanji was the only one that communicated with him all morning because he had holed up in his office. Come to think of it, Hanji had been weird, too. Giving me small smiles all day and being oddly formal, only really talking to me about my tasks that had been passed along to her by Levi._ _

__“...en. Eren!”_ _

__Armin’s voice jostled me slightly, and I blinked realizing he was standing._ _

__“It's our stop, silly. Come on.”_ _

__His smile was warm, hand reaching out to me. I took it sheepishly and we shuffled off the bus and on to the sidewalk where Jean was waiting impatiently._ _

__“Hey Eren, would you mind keeping this at your place when it comes in? I know I'll blow it and just ask her while she's folding laundry or some stupid thing.”_ _

__I snorted._ _

__“Yeah, you kind of suck like that,” he half glared at me. “Yeah, that's fine. By the way, how did you escape anyways? You guys both have Thursday’s off and I know you're all ‘domestic’.” I emphasized by making air quotations, and he scowled._ _

__“She's babysitting for us, and Jean said he had a dentist appointment so she wouldn't try and make him join her.” Armin chipped in, and I nodded._ _

__“Smooth. Don't make it a habit of lying to her, though. She's perceptive and she'll tear you apart.” Jean cringed._ _

__“Trust me, the last thing I want to do is make her mad. I forgot to pay a bill last month and I thought she was going to castrate me. It's scary, man.”_ _

__We walked up the street towards my apartment, where Armin had apparently parked his car after picking up Jean. I knew Connie was at work, so I'd have the apartment to myself for at least another hour._ _

__“Do you want to talk about it?” Armin asked softly when we all stopped at a crosswalk. Jean glanced sideways at me, and I looked at each of them before sighing. My impulse was to say no, but I knew at least Armin would try and pry anyway, no matter what sort of defense I tried._ _

__“Fine,” I muttered, sticking my key in the lock as we got to my apartment. I dropped my keys in a bowl by the door, kicking off my shoes as Armin and Jean followed me in. “But you're not allowed to judge me. I'm already messed up about it…”_ _

__I trailed off, shuffling into the kitchen to reheat my coffee. I was notoriously slow at drinking hot beverages, and always had to heat it back up at least once._ _

__“Aww, who's a good bird? Who's a pretty bird? So soft…” Jean baby talked my pet cockatiel, Bean, who had started chirping when we came in but I ignored in favor of coffee. Both my friends shoved at each other to pet him, to which the bird ate up all the affection. I watched them for a few seconds until the microwave dinged, signaling my coffee was done._ _

__“You guys can give him a treat if you want,” I said, flopping on the couch. “But if he shits on the furniture, you're cleaning it.”_ _

__Jean eagerly dug into a bag of treat sticks by the bird cage, while Armin shoved my legs so he could sit on the couch. I grunted and plopped my legs back down on his lap heavily, earning me a light smack on the hip.  
“You stop that.” Armin said in what I referred to as his ‘dad voice.’ I just raised a brow, sipping my coffee. He removed his coat and scarf, removing his glasses to wipe them on his sweater. “So, your court date is tomorrow. Are you excited?”_ _

__I shrugged as Jean sat across from us on a bean bag chair, the bird perched on his shoulder. Of all my friends, Bean liked Jean the most besides me, much to my dismay._ _

__“I guess so. I still can't use my car, so not much will change. I won't ever have to go to the library downtown again, which will be awesome. I'm tired of making that commute, and I'm honestly tired of the environment, there. It's stifling.”_ _

__At that, the other's exchanged a look. I clicked my tongue._ _

__“How about I just feed you the gossip you're both so obviously hungry for.” They at least had the decency to look sheepish, which I appreciated. I took another slow sip of coffee, gathering my thoughts. “So you both obviously know I went home with him l after the club the other night,” I started, and they nodded. I licked my lips._ _

__“Right, but it wasn't what you think. I vaguely remember dancing with him and… things,” Jean snickered. I flipped him off. “But it ended up being just us going back to his place and sleeping. I woke up so fucking confused because I'd only seen his room once before, so I didn't recognize-”_ _

__“Wait a minute,” Jean interjected, holding up his hand. “Once before? Eren, were you sleeping with this guy?”_ _

__I would have laughed at his expression if the situation were different. Armin just kept his stare even at me; he'd already surmised as much. I just sighed in defeat._ _

__“Yeah. Only one time, though.”_ _

__“Is that… legal?” I just shrugged._ _

__“To actually fuck him, yes. But I'm sure there's some moral ambiguity to what we did.”_ _

__“Whoa, what? You top? Holy crap, no way.”_ _

__The more I thought about it, the more I felt my face get hot. I cleared my throat and continued._ _

__“Long story short, I confronted him about my school debt and he admitted it was him that paid it off. Mine and Mikasa's both. Our schooling is completely paid for, and our trust fund account is up to where it should have been if my parents were still here.”_ _

__Both Armin and Jean raised their brows at that._ _

__“Holy shit, how does he have that kind of money? That's a few thousand dollars, at least. Mikasa’s is, anyways. Last time we checked, her student loans were about $20,000, plus whatever she's spent on her makeup and books,” Jean grumbled, leaning forward on the beanbag. “That shit gets expensive. Why are there so many different kinds of lipstick? Is it really necessary? And what the hell is blush for? Cheeks are already pink, so why-”_ _

__“Anyways!” Armin interjected, cutting off the same rant we'd heard many times. “But is that really so bad, Eren? That's a good thing to have your school paid for by someone who's just trying to be nice,” he smiled at me, and I met it with a glowering look. His smile faltered slightly. “... there's something else, isn't there?”_ _

__His voice got softer, and I shifted a bit in my seat._ _

__“Yeah…” I trailed off and fidgeted with the lid of my coffee cup, trying to stall._ _

__“Out with it.” Jean demanded, also frowning. I sighed heavily; no point in being delicate._ _

__“His parents killed my parents.” I deadpanned, and Armin gasped. Their expressions didn't change for a few seconds save for their jaws going slack. “Not… intentionally. It was a drunk driving accident. Our parents apparently all worked together at the hospital, sans my mom, and his parents were drinking and hit mine when they left the party.” My voice strained a bit at the end of my sentence and I took a sip of coffee to swallow down the sudden lump in my throat._ _

__“Eren... “ Armin rested his hand on my thigh, eyes full of concern. “That's really heavy. Are you ok? Does Mikasa know?”_ _

__I glanced quickly to Jean, whose jaw was clenched. I had a feeling she exploded on him when she got home._ _

__“Yeah. I told her when she came to pick me up. She seemed really cool about it, though I can't say the same for myself.”_ _

__Armin frowned._ _

__“...Eren, what did you do?”_ _

__“I threw a coffee mug at him.” No sense in lying about it, I supposed._ _

__“What? _Dude_!” Jean yelled, standing so suddenly it jostled the sleeping bird on his shoulder, who just screeched and flapped his wings. “You can't just throw things at people, especially your parole officer! Are you suicidal?!”_ _

__I just glared at him._ _

__“I know that! I just… I overreacted.”_ _

__“No shit.” Jean huffed in a humorless laugh, walking towards the kitchen. Armin hadn't taken his eyes off me, his face still in a frown._ _

__“I get that the news was upsetting, but it wasn't really his fault. There's nothing he could have done to prevent the accident.”_ _

__I growled, sliding my legs off his lap and standing, walking over to Jean who was rummaging one of Connie’s beers from the fridge. I shoved my hand at Bean, who grudgingly stepped on to my fingers, then turned to walk back to the living room._ _

__“Hey, we were having a nice time!”_ _

__I mulled over the situation a bit as I pet my bird, who nuzzled my fingers. It was always soothing to have an animal around._ _

__“I think I was mad at the timing,” I started, not looking at either of them and just focusing on my bird. “It also hurt my pride. I work really hard for what I have, and yet here was this guy that bullied his way into my pants, and suddenly he just pays for my life? Nah son, I'm not about that.”_ _

__They both snorted at my word choice, and I even smiled a bit; it felt good to get this off my chest._ _

__Jean sipped his beer, now sitting in the vacant spot on the couch._ _

__“But I doubt his intentions were bad. He apparently went to talk to Hannes about me, and that's when he found out about our parents-”_ _

__“Hold up,” This time it was Armin who interrupted. “Talked to Hannes? When?”_ _

__I told them about Levi visiting Hannes on Sunday, to which Armin groaned._ _

__“So he hasn't even known this much longer than you have! Eren, you're way out of line this time. I was going to take your side, but this is ridiculous!”_ _

__“I agree, you're something else, man. How do you think this Levi guy feels? Put yourself in his shoes.” Jean added, and Armin and I both looked surprised. Jean just looked between us, confused. “What? I'm not stupid. Besides, why be mad if someone pays for your college if they really want to? Shit, I wish someone would pay for _me_ to go to school.”_ _

__I just sighed, shuffling over to flop on the bean bag chair._ _

__“Yeah, but it hurts my pride-”_ _

__“Screw your pride!” Armin interrupted so strongly it made me jump a bit. “Honestly, Eren, I love you, but your stupid pride gets in the way of everything. Let people help you, for once.”_ _

__I shrunk away a little, feeling ashamed of my behavior. Armin was right, as usual._ _

__“But, he was just doing it because he felt guilty about what his parents did.” I said softly, and Armin rolled his eyes. Jean said nothing, only frowned at me and shook his head slightly._ _

__“Well yeah, why else would he do it?” Armin’s tone was exasperated, but the question made me pause. “Did you want him to have another reason?”_ _

__I made the mistake of making eye contact with him, and I could tell by the way his expression went from annoyed to blank to victorious that I messed up._ _

__“... Ah, I see.”_ _

__“Hmph.” I grunted, crossing my arms after setting Bean on my shoulder._ _

__“I feel like I missed something.” Jean said, and Armin chuckled._ _

__“Not really. Anyways, we should probably go. Annie will be home soon and I'm sure you'll want to see Mikasa.” Armin tapped on Jean’s thigh as he stood and walked over to me._ _

__“But I haven't finished my-”_ _

__“Chug it,” Armin quipped as he squatted down to my level, his face inches from mine. I just glared at him. “Don't make a stupid mistake because of your shitty pride.” He whispered, to which I just clicked my tongue.  
“Since when are you so demanding and forceful?” I whispered back, and he smiled. _ _

__“Since forever, I'm just usually more delicate in my delivery.” His tone was almost chipper as he stood back up, moving to grab his coat. I stood to follow them out, putting Bean back in his cage on the way to the front door. “Good luck at court tomorrow. I'm sure everything will go well.”_ _

__“Thanks. Mikasa insisted on coming with me when she picked me up yesterday. I told her it wasn't necessary, but you both know how she is.”_ _

__They both laughed a bit as the front door opened and Connie stepped in. He paused, eyes wide._ _

__“Oh shit, are we having a party? Jean, is that my beer?”_ _

__“No, they were actually just leaving. They've got important things to go do elsewhere.”_ _

__Jean rolled his eyes, but stepped over to stand right in front of me._ _

__“Thanks for today. You're a huge pain in the ass, but you're a good person when you try,” His tone was a lot nicer than usual, and he extended his hand to me. “It'll be weird to call you my brother-in-law, but thanks for overall being cool about it.”_ _

__“Whoa, what?!” Connie cried, and I even balked a little. I shook his hand, genuinely smiling for the first time today._ _

__“Yeah, you're also the biggest thorn in my side, but you treat Mikasa right and I appreciate that. And… yeah, also thanks for today.”_ _

__We briefly shook hands, and I felt way better than I had in a long time. Armin beamed at us, and Connie looked excited and confused._ _

__“Did Jean propose? Why wasn't I invited?”_ _

__“Dude, no, shut up. I'll tell you when they leave.”_ _

__Armin and Jean stepped outside where it had gotten dark and colder. We all waved goodbye and I shut the door behind them, leaning against it and letting out a huge sigh.  
“How does it feel to have a horse for a brother-in-law?”_ _

__I laughed and grabbed a pillow from the couch and chucked it at him._ _

__The next morning found me fiddling with the cuff of my button up, anxiously sitting through my final evaluation. Levi had given some papers to the judge and said his piece about my progress. It was too hard to look at him, so I did my best to look everywhere else without looking jumpy or suspicious._ _

__I did startle slightly when my hand was aggressively grabbed, and I glanced to Mikasa, who was sitting at my side._ _

__“You're fine, be cool. Your parole officer is saying nice things, dingus, if you cared to listen.” Her voice was hushed and hurried, but helped a bit._ _

__“All rise.” The judge commanded, and I almost tripped oh the chair leg in my haste._ _

__“The court finds that Eren Jaeger has successfully completed his community service, and has henceforth completed his probation. The outstanding arrangement with the court for a year long drivers license suspension is still in effect. This will be revoked at the end of the previously allotted time pending no further incidents. Court is dismissed.”_ _

__A loud banging of the gavel made me jump, but I felt myself grinning and I turned to Mikasa, who was smiling widely._ _

__“Good job, Eren. I'm proud of you.” she said softly, embracing me in a rather tight hug._ _

__“Mikasa, let go!” I wheezed, but she let go, face beaming. “Thank you for coming, though. This place is gloomy as hell.”_ _

__We exited through the double doors at the back of the courtroom, passing by Levi and his boss, Erwin, who were talking with the judge. I didn't look at them when we walked by, feeling too many things to be able to deal with correctly. I hadn't looked at Levi the entire time we were in court, but I could feel him staring at me._ _

__“Oh shoot, I left something in the room.” Mikasa grumbled halfway down the hall, rummaging in her purse. “Here are my keys, can you go warm up the car? I'll be right there.”_ _

__“Sure, no problem.” I replied, taking her keys._ _

__“Thanks, be right back!” She called, scurrying back down the hall. I chuckled, swinging her keys around my finger, whistling as I walked. I felt light as a feather; I was finally free._ _

__Leaves crunched under my feet as I walked to the car, but I stopped on the sidewalk to feel the sun on my face and take a deep breath of crisp fall air._ _

__I must have been standing there for more than a few seconds because I heard leaves crunching behind me rapidly before a sudden weight knocked into my back and my vision was blocked by red fabric._ _

__“Oof! Jesus, Mikasa, don't just jump on me!”_ _

__She laughed, arms wrapped around my neck. I maneuvered my arms under her knees, walking towards the car._ _

__“You were supposed to warm the car, silly.” Her breath was hot on my ear, scarf tickling my cheek. I spotted a pile of leaves a few feet to the side, and I smirked._ _

__“Yeah, well, I just wanted to experience fall with you.”_ _

__“What're you talkin- gah!”_ _

__We both laughed as I tipped us over into the pile, leaves scattering above us._ _

__“Was it a good fall for you?” I asked. My response was a giggle and a sudden mouthful of leaves. It was nice to let loose and laugh with my sister. Things between us had been a bit tense lately, but the gloom seemed to dissipate for both of us after my evaluation._ _

__“Man, I'm so glad that's over,” I sighed, flopping back into the pile. Mikasa sat next to me, propping herself back on her hands. “I never have to deal with _that_ ever again.”_ _

__The meaning of my emphasis on the word ‘that’ must have been obvious, because she just clicked her tongue._ _

__“Eren, I realize you have some… personal drama, there, but be fair. He helped us a lot,” she spoke softly, adjusting her scarf tighter. “The least you could do is be civil if he chooses to speak to us.”_ _

__I frowned, turning my head to the side to look at her impassive face._ _

__“Why would he need to talk to us? He seems to have no problem going over our heads to get his way- ow!”_ _

__I hissed, rubbing my ear that Mikasa had tugged on._ _

__“Don't be a butt. We at least owe him gratitude. After what you told me,” her tone turned somber. “I don't feel like he had ill intent.”_ _

__I rolled my eyes._ _

__“Yeah, Armin and Jean said the same things. You guys haven't even ever talked to him, how would you know about his intentions?”_ _

__Her gaze turned cool as she moved to stand, brushing off her pants._ _

__“Just be nicer to people in general, Eren. Now let's go; I'm hungry and I'm in a good mood, so I'll buy you lunch.”_ _

__I nearly slipped on the leaves in my scramble to stand._ _

__“Race you, 1-2-3, go!” She cried, bolting towards the car. I smiled, taking off after her._ _

__“Mikasa, that's cheating!” I yelled, and her laughter carried over her shoulder. It was infectious, and we were both in a fit of giggles as I held her keys above my head; she got to the car first. I poked her ribs when she jumped, but eventually relented and gave her the keys._ _

__“Let's go, little brother.”_ _

__“Mikasa, please, I'm a month younger than you.”_ _

__“I wasn't talking about your age, Eren.” she quipped, pulling away from the curb._ _

__“That's low, Mikasa.”_ _

__“So are your standards, obviously.”_ _

__I scoffed, but turned to hide my smile as she just snickered._ _


	10. Adventures in Babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos. They really mean a lot to me!

I jolted at a knock on my office door, groaning at the resulting thumping in my head. My head jerked up, a piece of paper stuck to my cheek. 

“What?” I hissed, peeling the memo from my face and laying my head back down on my crossed arms. The door opened and Hanji peeked her head in.

“Hey, I'm running to get coffee. Do you want some?” she asked timidly, to which I frowned and slowly lifted my head, squinting at her. 

“No offense, but can you just leave me here to die? I feel like I got hit by a truck.”

I had never in my life felt so pathetic. Hanji hummed and stepped into my office, closing the door softly behind her. Pulling out the chair in front of my desk, she plopped down rather noisily. I winced. 

“Look, you asked us to come over the day after Erwin's birthday, but you didn't say a damn thing. You just kept mixing whiskey with your coffee and staring at the fireplace,” her tone held authority to it that she rarely used. I sat up, though not very straight. “If you're this beat up about it, why don't you go talk to Eren? It's been almost two weeks since his trial, just buck up and do it.”

I sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down my face and leaning back in my chair. 

“I can't just barge into his life, Hanji. You didn't see his face, you weren't there. He was pissed the fuck off. I doubt he wants to see me,” she just nodded. “He didn't even look at me at his hearing.”

It was her turn to sigh and shake her head slowly. She frowned, clasping her hands in front of her. 

“Well, and this is just my opinion, but maybe he was just mad about timing?”

I just frowned. 

“What's that supposed to mean?” Truly, I hadn't slept well in weeks and my complex thought processes weren't functioning correctly. I had to applaud Hanji for not rolling her eyes at me. 

“I mean,” she continued patiently. “You slept with him, then he finds out all these other things, plus that you paid for his college? Essentially paid for things he felt you had no business doing? Even so, just finding out about his and your parents would be enough to emotionally disturb someone. Use your head, Levi. I know you're a ‘do first, think later’ type, but honestly.”

By the end of her tirade, her voice was exasperated. I digested that for a few minutes, leaning further back in my chair. She was making completely valid points, and I couldn't counter a single thing. This was just a case of me being over dramatic, but I was also afraid. 

“Can I be honest, here?” My question was rhetorical, and she seemed to understand that, just giving a small nod. “I like him, Hanji. I… I actually liked being around him, sass and all, and I'm honestly turnt about it.”

She snorted at my use of the word turnt, but I continued. 

“And I'm freaking out mentally because I thought I was doing a good thing, but it blew up in my face. Erwin was right, as usual.” I finished bitterly. She just scooted closer to the desk, crossing her arms and leaning over to rest her chin on them. Mimicking my earlier position.

“What was he right about, exactly?”

I clicked my tongue, glaring at her with no real malice. 

“Eren doesn't want help or charity. I selfishly decided to do these things without consulting him first, and I think I hurt his pride. He's…” I trailed off, searching for the right words. “He's a good person, and I admire his tenacity. It's inspiring and I'm pissed,” 

I shot up from my desk so suddenly, Hanji jumped in her seat. I quickly paced around my office, hand running through my already messy hair. 

“I'm pissed because I want him, and I've never actually wanted someone, you know?” She nodded rapidly, her eyes wide and lips smiling. “Not like, as a possession, because that's creepy, but I can't deal with this feeling of loss. It's not like I felt when I lost my parents. This feels like…” I made vague, wild gestures with my hands, frowning deeply as I paced. “It's like I'm losing my home? If that makes any fucking sense? I don't know, Hanji, I-... I just-”

My anxious ranting was cut off as Hanji embraced me in a tight hug, her arms pulling my face against her bosom. I tensed briefly at the sudden touch, but sighed and relaxed into it, hands dropping to my sides. 

“I'm sorry, Shitty Glasses. I got a bit carried away with my verbal diarrhea.”

Laughter rolled through her, and she rubbed her cheek on top of my head. 

“Don't you feel better now that you've shit out your feelings? It's not good to be emotionally constipated, Levi.”

I snorted at her choice of words, sighing heavily. It did feel good to put words to what I had been feeling. Hanji was always a good sounding board, and was always there to make sure I had my shit together. 

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I slid my hand in to retrieve it; Erwin was calling. Sliding the screen to answer the call, I brought it up to my ear as Hanji let go of me.   
“What?” I asked curtly, and he just chuckled in the other line. 

“My morning has been well, thank you for asking,” he replied, and I just rolled my eyes, walking back over to my desk to put my glasses on. “I was just calling to inform you that you might be receiving a visitor at the library this afternoon.”

I felt my brows furrow, and my heart skipped a beat. There's no way Eren would come to see me. 

“A visitor? Who?” 

His response was a thoughtful hum. 

“A fiery young lady who was very interested in speaking directly with you as soon as possible.”

My confusion must have been evident because Hanji looked very interested in my conversation. 

“A girl? I don't know any girls-”

There was a soft knock on my office door, to which Hanji and I both turned to look at, then at each other, before she shuffled over to open it slightly and peek into the hallway. I faintly heard one of the assistants speaking in the hallway. 

“Uhh…” Hanji replied, looking at me over her shoulder. I sighed, to which Erwin seemed to take as signal my visitor had arrived. 

“Have fun. Be nice.” 

The call ended. I stomped over to the door, shoving my phone in my pocket as Hanji jumped out of the way. I grabbed the handle and flung open the door to reveal the assistant I had heard, plus another girl. 

“Oh! Um, hello,” I greeted lamely. 

“Morning.” I was greeted coolly by Eren's sister, Mikasa. The assistant scurried away and left me standing in the doorway staring at my visitor. “I'd like to speak with you. About Eren.”

I just blinked, slowly turning to face Hanji who looked about ready to burst with excitement. 

“Still up for that coffee, Shitty Glasses?”

*

“You have our numbers, so call us if you need anything.”

“Armin, he's fine. The babies will be fine.” Annie’s tone was amused, but she was still shoving at him towards the door. “I don't want to be late, put your shoes on.”

I snorted, watching Armin nearly trip over himself to double check everything in the cabinets. 

“Dude really, it's fine. Just go. And don't forget your mask.”

“Oh shoot, you're right. It's in the bedroom, I'll be right back.”

Annie rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her face. Her company party was a masquerade, and her and Armin were dressed fairly elaborately. 

“I just fed the babies, so they should be good for a few hours. Aiden has been fussy lately, so he might wake up soon. Just rock him and play the CD I left on the coffee table, he'll be good. If that doesn't work, you're resourceful- Armin, let's go!” 

Her tone was so deadpan it was almost comical, save for the last bit that had some real fire to it. There was a thump down the hall, followed by a muffled curse, before Armin emerged from their bedroom, mask in hand.

Annie appeared annoyed, but her gaze was fond as she watched Armin struggle to undo the knot on his mask strings. She lightly placed her hand on his, clicking her tongue. 

“It's fine, silly. You can't wear it while driving anyways,” she chastised, literally shoving him out the door. “Now quit stalling, Eren can handle it and you being a mother hen won't stop the party from happening.”

Armin pouted over his shoulder at her, and she looked away smiling softly. 

“You two are just as syrupy sweet as everyone else. You're going to give me cavities.”

I pretended to dry heave, but it didn't seem to bother them. Armin grabbed his keys and opened the door, turning back as Annie breezed past him. 

“Sorry for her, she's just really excited to go because she fits into one of her pre-pregnancy dresses and wants to show off to a bitchy coworker.”

“That's absolutely not true!” Her voice sounded from outside, and I just laughed, shoving on the door. 

“Bye kids, have fun. Use protection!”

Armin’s indignant squawk was cut off by the door closing in his face. I stretched briefly, feeling my back pop in a satisfying manner. 

I'd made sure to turn the porch light off and put a sign on the door earlier to ward off trick-or-treaters, so as not to disturb the babies. Having one of them being fussy was fine. Having both was a nightmare, as they seemed to feed off of the other's distress. 

I made my way to the gas fireplace between the living room and dining room, flipping the wall switch to turn on the flames so I could turn off the floor lamps. I so wished my apartment had a fireplace; there had been one at my parent's house, and at Hannes’ house, so the nostalgia was comforting. 

I turned and looked around the living room, assessing if there were any small chores to be done, but found it spotless. Figures. 

“Guess it's Netflix and chill for one, then,” I muttered to myself, flopping on the couch and grabbing the remote. While it loaded, I plugged my phone into the charger by the couch, settling in for whatever campy Halloween selection there was. 

About half an hour into my generic zombie flick, I heard small noises coming from the back of the house. Sighing, I paused my movie and stood, stretching again as the baby cries got louder. 

“I know, I know, I'm getting to it,” I muttered, gently opening the door to the nursery and shuffling to the crying baby. “Shh, you're ok. Shh…” I cooed, adjusting him in my arms to cradle him against my shoulder. 

He immediately drooled, to which I grimaced but patted his back anyways. 

“Alright, let's go out here and leave your sister to sleep. I only have two hands, man…”

I made my way back to the living room, awkwardly trying to balance the baby and fumble with the CD Annie had mentioned. I had no idea what was on it, but if it meant keeping the baby placated, I'd deal with it. 

“Oh, come on, stereo. Cooperate with me…” I wasn't super tech savvy, but the CD player was besting me. “Ha! Good, tunes.”

I felt victorious, standing back up and beginning to slowly pace the room, rubbing at the baby's back and bouncing a bit in my steps. 

“There, see, you got some cool jams from your mom, so shh…” It was weird for me to talk so softly. I knew I was a brash, abrasive person, but this was kind of calming in its own way. His crying subsided, and he hiccuped. I smiled, resting my cheek on his head. “Yeah, see, you're cool, man. Everything is cool.”

I kept my voice soft, but I knew he wasn't quite asleep. I slowly sat back down on the couch, careful not to jostle him too much. 

Ding-dong!

“Wahhh!”

“Shit, what the hell?!” The sudden ringing of the doorbell startled the both of us and the baby started crying again. “Perfect, just peachy. Fucking kids…” I grumbled, standing to go to the front door and look through the peep-hole. I was expecting to see kids in costumes, but my jaw clenched at who was actually there. I hastily fumbled with the door lock after securing the baby on one arm. 

“What're you doing here?” I hissed, wincing at the baby crying right in my ear. 

“Well… I was hoping to talk to you, but I see you have your arms full.” Levi deadpanned, his eyes wide and fixed on the crying baby. I glared at him, bouncing my arm. 

“Yes, I do. I don't know how you found me, but you need to leave. I've got enough going on here without-”

I froze at the sound of crying from down the hall, and I squeezed my eyes shut in annoyance. “Terrific. Thanks for nothing, Levi. I've got to go take care of-”

“Do you want help?” My eyes flew open at the sound of eagerness in his voice. His expression was neutral, but his eyes looked desperate. I opened my mouth to tell him off, but the wailing from the back increased as well as in my ear. I let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Yeah, whatever, get in here. And take your shoes off.” 

He just gave a small nod, stepping inside and closing the door. He removed his shoes, scarf, hat, gloves and coat, tossing them on the back of the couch before following my hurried footsteps to the nursery. 

“I don't really have the patience to deal with this right now, Levi,” I said over my shoulder. My hand was rubbing and patting the baby in my arms as I nudged open the nursery door with my foot. We both paused in the doorway, to which I clicked my tongue. “Well go pick her up, silly. She won't bite. Might drool on you, though.”

He nodded, stepping over to the crib and gingerly picking up the crying infant. I was kind of put out by the fact that he didn't seem awkward about it, but seemed almost natural holding her. 

“Shh, you're alright,” he cooed, grabbing a blanket from the crib and gently placing it over her. He chose to cradle her in front of him, whereas I was holding her brother over my shoulder. “See, you've got your blanket. You're good…” 

Levi's voice hadn't been that soft since that day a few weeks ago in his office. I cleared my throat to quickly dismiss that memory, which made his eyes snap to me. 

“Um. Annie, their mom, left a CD to play to get them to calm down. Unless they need a diaper change, then they can go back to sleep,” I turned and walked out of the nursery, Levi following behind me. “You can sit in the rocking chair over there if you want. I'll stand. This guy likes being walked better, so…” 

I trailed off, slowly pacing in the living room. Levi gingerly sat in the rocker, mindful not to jostle the baby too much. If you had asked me a few months ago if I thought Levi was good with babies, I'd have laughed in your face. 

But seeing him cooing at this baby, rocking slowly and letting her hold his finger got me a certain kind of way. I shifted the baby I held, choosing to hold him in front instead of over my shoulder. 

I could tell my movements were much more coarse than Levi's, but the combination of rocking, patting and music seemed to calm them both. 

“Shh, everything is fine…” he soothed, and I cleared my throat gently. His gaze slowly slid to me, and I was surprised to see his eyes full of warmth. “Yes?”

I felt embarrassed, suddenly. 

“Uh, since I'm up, do you want, like, tea or something?” I asked, to which he just blinked. “I mean, you like black tea… right?”

I was sure he did, unless I was remembering incorrectly. At his nod, though, I felt like I had achieved some small victory. 

“Yeah, that would be nice. I don't think moving would be wise for a bit, anyways…” 

We both glanced at the softly cooing baby in his arms, who had managed to get his finger to her mouth. I was honestly astounded he was ok with it, considering his aversion to germs. 

“Right. I'll get that, then.” 

I scurried to the kitchen, carefully taking out two mugs and filling them with water. Using the microwave would be faster than using the kettle on the stove. Once the mugs were in the microwave, I carefully rummaged through Armin’s tea stash, finding earl grey and chamomile. 

“Earl Grey turns out black, that'll work…” I mumbled, opening the bag with my teeth, careful to not drop anything on the baby's face. The microwave dinged, and I carefully removed the mugs one at a time. I placed a tea bag in each, grabbing both the handles and holding them to my side. 

The last thing I wanted to do was spill hot water on the baby. 

“Here,” I set one mug on the side table by Levi, and he thanked me. I took up my previous spot on the couch, my own mug set on the coffee table. I laid the opposite direction so as to face Levi. “That's earl grey, which is black enough, I guess.”

He huffed a laugh through his nose. 

“Well, you're not incorrect,” It was still weird to hear him talk so softly. “But thank you, it's fine.”

We sat in relative silence save for the music playing in the background. He rocked, and I adjusted the baby I held to lay on his stomach on my chest, which he seemed to favor. 

“So,” I broke the silence, and I saw him noticeably wince. “I guess I'll start with how you found me.”

He held my gaze for a second before visibly deflating. 

“Well, there wasn't much finding involved as there was directing,” he started, looking down at the baby, adjusting her position on his chest. “You can actually thank your sister for her, uh… negotiation tactics.”

Oh. Well. That's not what I was expecting, and I'm sure the surprise was evident on my face. 

“When did you talk to Mikasa?”

“A few days ago, and she called me this morning. She came to the library and essentially apologized to me on your behalf.”   
The ease in which he responded led me to believe that he had been expecting the question, and perhaps rehearsed the answer. 

“She said that you were an idiot, and while she understands your anger, she said it was misplaced and I shouldn't hold it against you.” His eyes again found mine, and I found myself unable to look away, even as I gently patted the back of the baby I was holding. “Eren, I understand that what I did was selfish, and I'm sorry for not considering your feelings. But I'm not sorry for doing it.”

I felt awkward, now. Levi really had nothing to apologize for, and it surprised me that Mikasa, of all people, confronted Levi herself. He didn't look away from me as I processed what he said, but I could tell that he was forcing composure. I felt goosebumps form the longer he stared at me. Clearing my throat, I carefully sat up and took a sip of tea. 

“Levi, I don't know what to say.”

And I really didn't. My initial anger had faded away and I felt regretful for my behavior. 

He nodded in understanding, slowly standing and grabbing his tea before walking over to sit beside me on the couch. Both the babies had stopped crying, the combination of soft music and being held seeming to soothe them. 

“Do you resent me?” he asked softly. 

“No,” I replied quickly, which he seemed to be surprised by. “I mean, I was mad, but not really at you, specifically.” He again nodded, taking a sip of his tea. I licked my lips and continued. 

“The timing was bad, and I felt like you were talking pity on me. Like ‘oh, poor orphan Eren with his part time job and criminal history.’” 

Levi sent a withering glare my way. 

“I think you forget that I'm an orphan too, Eren.”

His tone was teasing and light, much to my relief. 

“Yeah, I know, but I seem to enjoy the taste of foot, since it's in my mouth so much.”

“Pff, hahaha!” he bust up laughing, much to my delight. His laughter was wonderful and cute, and it broke some of the tension. He stifled himself a bit as his shaking chest disturbed the baby dozing on him. “Ohh, sorry, sorry, my bad…”

“So, why did you go see Hannes?”

His brows knit together slightly, and I continued quickly. 

“I mean, did you go there knowing about our parents, and we're just confirming, or…?”

“Ah, no, actually,” he replied gently. He looked a bit embarrassed, actually. “I really did go with the intention to help you out financially, even though Erwin told me not to. Something about mixing business with personal matters. But then it all went to hell because Hannes actually brought up the accident, showed me an old newspaper, and it snowballed from there. You know the rest.”

I nodded, feeling more and more sheepish for my severe overreaction at Levi's house. He really was just trying to be nice, which I honestly wasn't used to. 

“Thank you,” I murmured, noticing him tense a bit in my peripheral vision. “Honestly, it gets me down sometimes that I work so hard and can't seem to get ahead. Mikasa, too. I feel like I should be able to manage on my own without her help, yet, here I am. My shitty pride gets in the way a lot,”

He nodded in understanding, which put me at ease. I knew Levi was a prideful person as well, so I felt like he could appreciate my sincere confession. 

“I was being stupid earlier, and I'm sorry for breaking your coffee mug.”

He huffed a laugh through his nose. 

“It's fine. I'm not the most… tactful person, so your reaction was fair.”

I nodded, feeling like we were on equal ground for once. We both fell silent again, just enjoying the softly playing music, doing our best to move minimally. Save for me not so subtly positioning myself closer to Levi, who no doubt noticed, but did the courteous thing by not mentioning it. 

“... Sorry for just dropping in, but Mikasa was very adamant I come talk to you today,” I turned my head just enough to face him, noticing that a small smile found its way to his lips. “She apparently got my number from Erwin after your hearing, and he gave her tips on how to best wrangle me to see her perspective. She's very forceful with her wor-”

“I missed you.” I heard myself say out loud before I could bite my tongue, and he fixed his surprised stare on me, though his glasses obstructed some of the view. 

Shit. 

My face felt hot and my stomach was doing a weird tingly thing. I'm not really sure how long I stared at him, but the longer I did, the less I felt mad about anything. His expression melted to something more content, his lips forming a small smile. He turned back to the baby, gently rubbing her back. “I… I mean, like, don't read too much in to that- well, no, I don't mean that in a rude way, I just mean-”

“I understand, Eren,” he cut off my rambling, and my teeth clacked in my haste to close my mouth. Adjusting his hold on the baby, he got one hand loose and used it to remove his glasses, setting them on the arm of the couch. I felt my breath catch ever so slightly at the way the firelight softly lit his eyes and I knew my face had to be in some dopey expression. 

He leaned back, closing his eyes and sighing as he seemed to sink a bit more into the couch. It was as if some burden had left him and he was able to relax. I thought it best to just let him have his moment of chill, but I didn't take my eyes off him. 

Normally I'd chicken out and look away, but this relaxed Levi was new. I mean, he was usually calm, but always seemed on edge about one thing or another. I felt like I was seeing a side of him he rarely showed anybody else. 

To be fair, since he had shown up at the house earlier, he was acting completely different than normal, showing all of his emotions on his face and in his eyes. Opening himself up in a way I'd never seen. It could aptly be described as vulnerable. 

Realizing that got the wheels whirring in my head. If he came all the way over here to try and make amends, then there had to be some other meaning to it. Or, perhaps that was my own selfish projection onto the situation and he really was just here to be cordial. 

His breathing was soft and quiet, his face free from his usual scowl, that again, got me feeling a certain kind of way I couldn't quite put my finger on. 

_“Did you want him to have another reason?”_

Armin’s words from a few weeks ago chose that moment to float across my mind, and I felt a tremble of panic. Where do we go from here? Looking at the situation at present, it was absurd that we had this conversation while I was babysitting on, of all things, Halloween. 

A gentle tap on my thigh made me jump slightly, my eyes drawn down to Levi's pale hand resting there. 

“Relax. I can almost feel you having your crisis.” 

He didn't move from his position or open his eyes, but I let out a heavy breath, willing myself to relax. His presence was both calming and electrifying, a wonderful mix of feelings I thoroughly enjoyed. I mimicked his position, slouching a bit into the cushions. The babies had fallen asleep a few minutes ago but neither of us seemed in a hurry to put them back to bed. 

Shuffling gently, I got my right hand free and placed it on top of Levi's. I felt his fingers twitch at the feeling, watching his face for any sign of emotion. He looked conflicted, even with his eyes shut. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but he spoke before I could. 

“I have no idea what I'm doing, Eren.” The thickness of emotions in his voice surprised me. His usual flat tone was full of what I determined to be confusion and sadness. I didn't dare say anything, not wanting to ruin the mood. His eyes slowly opened, though he looked at the ceiling, as if he _couldn't_ look at me. “Being around you gets my head full of nonsense, being away from you gets my chest feeling empty, and I hate it because I don't get close to people, ever.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I swallowed thickly, feeling my eyes widen. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Though I'd only known him a short time, he'd been reclusive and not emotional. The person before me was a complete 180° and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying this immensely. 

“Levi, don't feel like you owe me anything because of what I said,” I began softly, marginally tightening my grip on his hand. His eyes were drawn to the action, and his jaw tensed “I… I don't want you to feel pressured-”

“I don't,” he cut in sharply, his gaze snapping up to meet mine. His cool tone didn't match the swirling emotions in his eyes, as if he was feeling everything at once. It looked kind of painful, honestly. “Look, Eren, I like you. And I've been trying to force those feelings onto you in the most absurd ways possible. I realize my timing now is still not ideal, but…” he paused, looking down at our hands, then glancing to each of the babies we held. “Life is short and fragile, and I don't want to live with any regrets, not if I can help it.”

My stomach was tying itself in knots, and all my nerves were trembling. I felt like there was a weak current of electricity zipping around my body the more Levi talked. I didn't realize how much hearing this was what I wanted until it actually happened and I found I couldn't think of any intelligent response. 

I just searched his eyes, looking for any sign of doubt or insincerity, but I found quiet desperation, his stare unwavering and his lips pressed in a tight line. I looked down, gently turning his hand over on my thigh and knitting our fingers together tightly. I heard his breath catch, and I took a deep breath. 

“Look, Levi, I… obviously don't have my shit together, and I'm prone to blowing up at stupid shit, and I'm not very good at cleaning, but…” I brought my gaze back up, surprised to see his face a bit stony, as if expecting rejection. I smiled, which seemed to work as his face softened. “But… yeah, I guess, I'm here, if you'll have me… God, sorry, I'm so bad with wor-”

“Please,” he breathed, catching me off guard. “I already know those things, and believe me, I don't have my shit together as much as you seem to think I do. I'm grumpy and piss with words too, so… yeah, I'll have you if you’ll have my shit, too.”

I gulped around a sudden tickle in my throat, hardly believing what was happening. I'd thought about this every day for weeks, letting it stew and bubble over until it outweighed my anger, anger I'd held on to unfairly which stopped me from exploring the possibility of being with Levi beyond platonically.

I sighed heavily, feeling all my tension melt away as Levi shuffled closer, resting his head on my shoulder. I rested my cheek on the top of his head and caught a whiff of his usual cologne, mixed with the light scent of cinnamon. He commented on the music and asked the babies names, but we didn't say much else, just enjoying the dim light and warmth of the fire, enjoying the peace that settled in around us. 

*

A few hours passed in silence without the babies waking up. The front door opened softly to reveal Annie and Armin, who stepped in as quietly as possible. Armin bent down to remove his shoes, while Annie took a few steps into the living room before freezing. 

“Armin,” she hissed, hurriedly removing her heels. “Get your phone out.” Armin frowned, standing back up to rummage in his coat for his phone. 

“Ok, but why?” 

She just looked over her shoulder and smiled softly. 

“Embarrassment opportunity.”

Curious, Armin raised his brows and stepped around her, covering his mouth to stifle a snort. Eren and Levi were both asleep on the couch, each holding a baby and holding hands. 

“Oh, beautiful…” Armin murmured, a smile taking up most of his face as he focused his phone camera on the pair. “I'm glad Mikasa set this up, this is too perfect.”

Annie nodded, her face holding a small smile as she retrieved one of the babies from Eren, Armin picking up the other from Levi. Annie walked back towards the nursery, while Armin grabbed the blanket on the back of their rocking chair and tossed it over the two on the couch. No sense in waking them when they looked so peaceful. He'd let them feel awkward and embarrassed in the morning, when both he and Annie could tease them mercilessly. 

“About time, you dorks.” He whispered, following after his wife with a small smile on his face.


	11. Friendsgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendsgiving!

The next few weeks seemed to fly by. I got promoted to assistant manager, which meant I worked full time and for a small raise. None of my coworkers were upset, and were all in fact supportive. 

But this meant most of my free time was taken up by school, and finals were coming up right before Thanksgiving. This also meant Levi and I weren't able to spend much time together, but he did make an effort to come see me at work on his lunch breaks. Which was honestly whenever he felt like it, so I never knew when he would pop in. 

He said we had a good tea selection, which I knew was false because this was, overall, a pub, and we just had generic tea in a bag. But I wasn't going to say anything, as Pixis seemed to take a liking to Levi and would sit and shoot the shit with him whenever he came in. 

At the end of my shifts, Levi would also be there to give me a ride home, despite my numerous protests that it was a waste of gas. I only lived a few blocks away, but I did appreciate the gesture. We didn't have much time to spend together, and I felt like he was really eager to do whatever he could to show me he was invested in us. Of course we texted a ton, mostly when I was up at ungodly hours of the morning studying.

Levi helped me study when he could, staying a few late nights at my apartment, but never staying the night. It didn't necessarily bother me, but it was weird that he chose to drive home at early ass hours instead of just crashing here. 

He also had been acting a bit... off. He didn't initiate physical contact, but eagerly hugged me back if I went for it first. He also tended to be hesitant about kissing, as we hadn't really had any kisses since we had decided to be official. These were behaviors I was realizing were probably due to him thinking I was going to go off on him again, which I needed to clear up when we had a moment because I was frankly getting frustrated.

But due to my hectic schedule, I felt guilty if I didn't make time to focus on my grades, as Levi had given both Mikasa and I a huge and rare opportunity. My basic classes were almost over, and as I wanted to be a veterinarian, I'd have to start going to an actual classroom next fall. 

Which would be way expensive, and I wasn't sure that I really wanted to blow all the money we had been given. The fact that Mikasa would be getting married soon weighed heavily on my mind, and I knew she deserved to have a beautiful wedding. Which would require money. Money I knew her and Jean didn't make together, despite his decent job and her steady paycheck. 

Finals came and went, but I wouldn't know how I did until after the holiday. I felt fairly confident, though I'm sure I fucked up math. 

Levi assured me many times that I was just second guessing and being stressed for no reason, which I appreciated but didn't fully believe. 

“...For the hundredth time, put your phone away or so help me...” Mikasa’s voice pulled me from my internal crisis. 

“I thought I felt it vibrate...”

“...Eren, you just looked at it fifteen seconds ago. You sent a text exactly a minute ago. You need to chill.”

“Yeah, well, who's fault is it that I have a boyfriend, now, Mikasa?”

It felt weird to say that to out loud to my sister of all people, and she just smiled shyly, turning back to peeling potatoes over the sink. I hummed in victory, turning back to my own task of assembling side dishes to go in the oven. It was Thanksgiving at Hannes’ house, and our friends would be coming over soon. 

They went their separate ways for Christmas, but Thanksgiving was always here. Hannes insisted, though he was currently drinking some spiced wine in the living room watching football. Neither of us really minded that he wasn't helping, as the kitchen was pretty tiny. 

“What the hell was that?! He totally stepped on the line!”

I groaned lightly, and Mikasa snickered; Jean was also here, also drinking and watching football. All parties involved didn't want him in the kitchen either, since all he did was snack on everything and not actually help. He yelled at the TV, Hannes adding slurred agreements at bad calls. I knew zero about football, and was way more interested in hanging out with my sister and making food.

Annie and Armin would be here soon, but Connie had to go pick up Sasha, so they'd be here later. I had just walked over here, not really seeing a reason to hitch a ride when it was literally seven blocks. Mikasa and Jean were already here when I arrived. 

“Hey, Eren?” Mikasa asked softly, and I almost missed it over the rowdy sounds in the living room. 

“Yeah?” I asked distractedly, rummaging on the counter for the spice I needed. 

“Have you noticed Jean acting… weird lately?”

The small container I had just grasped slid out of my grip, my stomach reeling at her question. Shit. 

“Besides being a royal dick?” I asked, hoping my voice was normal as I bent down to pick up the container of nutmeg on the floor. “Not really. Why?” 

I turned to look at her, her lips pursed slightly as she studied my face. Crap. 

“... No reason, I guess. I just think he should go to a doctor.”

“...What.”

That was from way in left field, and genuine confusion settled into my gut. I knew what he planned to do, but maybe there was something else going on?

“Well, he's being really uptight lately, and he's really skittish and goes to the bathroom a lot,” I nodded along, not really following where this was going. I quickly glanced to my messenger bag hanging in the hallway, wondering if she'd found out. “I think maybe he's constipated and is too embarrassed to tell me.”

“What!” I squawked, and immediately burst out laughing, despite Mikasa’s indignant expression. She was so seriously concerned about her boyfriend, but all I could do was laugh as I knew better. 

“It's not funny, Eren!”

I wiped a tear from my eye, trying my hardest to stifle my laughter. She lightly smacked my upper arm, but I just giggled. 

“Stop being a butt!”

I snorted. 

“Really, Mikasa? A butt? Sounds like I'm not the ‘butt’ you should be worrying abo-!”

“Er-en!”

She took that opportunity to stuff a biscuit in my mouth, but she had a smile on her face, a giggle slipping out despite her attempts to remain serious. 

A sudden onslaught of the smell of alcohol interrupted my retort, and I spit out the dough in my mouth to wrinkle my nose. 

“Youu guyss makin’ a mess?”

Mikasa snorted, covering her mouth to hide her smile at my predicament. Hannes had slung an arm over my shoulders, leaning right next to my face. His mug was empty. 

“Jesus christ, man. That was an entire quart of wine,” I grimaced, waving my hand in front of my nose. He just laughed, slumping a bit of his weight on me. “It's not even noon! Lay off, you old fart. There are other people who might want some.”

“Ah, lay off him, Eren. I made an entire stock pot,” Jean piped in, wandering into the kitchen, sipping a can of beer. He made a beeline for the vegetable tray sitting out on the dining table, grabbing a handful of carrots. 

“Feeding time at the stable?” I jabbed, and he just flipped me off. I heard Mikasa huff a laugh through her nose, which only fueled my humor. Jean looked torn between getting into it with me and wanting to behave for Mikasa, and I had to admit that the combination did make him look constipated. 

“Ahhh, let th’ boy eat, Eren. You used t’do th’ same thing.” Hannes slurred, helping himself to more wine. Normally he drank whiskey, but decided to be festive today. Jean wasn't kidding, though, as he'd literally brought twelve bottles of wine, a jug of cranberry juice, a jug of pomegranate juice and spices and filled an entire stock pot with it. 

Mikasa had thrown orange slices in it “for color,” but it was way more than we would need. Mikasa and I each had a modest amount in a normal sized mug, but Hannes was definitely a creature of excess. I was about to comment on it again, but a knock on the door interrupted me. 

“It's open!” Mikasa yelled, and I shuffled to the living room as the door opened to reveal Armin, a baby on one arm and a few bags on the other. I instantly grabbed the baby, to which he muttered a thanks before making a beeline for the kitchen. Annie was right behind him, and I stepped aside to let her in before shoving the door closed with my foot. 

“Ohhh, would ya look at them big ol’ eyes!” I heard Hannes slur, no doubt commenting on the other baby. I wasn't even sure which one I had, as they were identical and dressed in matching outfits. I held the baby I was holding out a bit, looking it up and down as I re-entered the cramped kitchen. 

Mikasa had taken the other baby, who I noticed had a small bow in their hair, so Annie could remove her coat. 

“Thanks for grabbing him, Eren,” Armin commented in a huff, taking his and Annie’s coats to the closet by the front door. “He's really wiggly today and it was hard to balance.”

I glanced down at the baby, realizing I had grasped him tighter without thinking about it, subconsciously noticing his movements. 

“Huh, guess I didn't really notice,” Armin nodded, brushing his hair back and into a messy bun, a hair elastic in his teeth. “Man, why don't you get a haircut? You're always messing with it.”

He grabbed the elastic and opened his mouth to respond, but Annie butted in, appearing right beside me. 

“Because I like to pull it sometimes.” 

I snorted loudly, both at her deadpan tone and expression, and at Armin’s obvious discomfort. 

“Annie, why?! Jeez…”

“Don't be so modest, you do the s-”

“Nope!” Armin nearly tripped in his hurried scuffle to place his hand over her mouth. I just snickered. 

“Bleeeh!”

Mikasa was holding the other baby, and Jean was making weird faces at her, which caused her to giggle and make spit bubbles. Mikasa had the biggest smile on her face as she gently bounced the baby, and I had to smile despite myself. The scene was so warm and cozy, I didn't want to interrupt.

A shrill squeal announced my presence, and I felt a drip of drool on my hand accompany the sound. 

“Augh! Not cool, man…” My face contorted in a scowl, and Jean snickered. Mikasa grabbed a towel, scooting over to hand it to me so I could awkwardly rub my hand on it. “Thanks.”

“Move, Eren. I'm hungry and want to help finish things.”

I again jumped slightly, as Annie had snuck up right beside me. 

“Jesus!” I exclaimed, tightening my grip on the baby. She breezed past me and sidled up to Mikasa, who gently handed the baby she held to Jean. 

Who looked petrified to be holding her. Armin came in, zooming to the fridge in search of alcohol. 

“There's enough spiced wine on the stove to drown an army, man. Drink it so Jean doesn't have to.” I commented, and Armin perked up. 

“Wow, that sounds really good, actually!”

We went about getting ourselves set up with mugs of wine, then shuffling back to the living room where Hannes was drunkenly commentating the football game on TV. He had put it on mute and turned on Christmas music. 

Armin and I took the couch, and Jean took the other armchair. It was amusing to watch Jean handle the baby in stiff motions, as if he was afraid of breaking her. 

"Holy shit, she's not going to break, you doof." I teased. Jean just scowled. 

"Yeah, well, unlike you, I might actually be having one of these one day, so I want to figure it out."

I snorted loudly.

"Oh, yeah? You're personally popping out a baby? That'll be something to see."

Armin laughed beside me, and Jean's face turned red. 

"No, you ass! Ugh, you know what I meant."

"Yes, but you're so easy," I took a hearty swig of my wine. "Besides, there are ways for gay people to have kids, stupid."

"Yeah, so when are you going to bring your boyfriend around?" Armin asked suddenly, catching me off guard. I felt my stomach flutter at the mention of him, though I chose to scowl instead.

"I dunno..." I mumbled, and I felt three pairs of eyes focus on me. Hannes coughed around his drink, and I felt my face getting hot. Here we go.

"Boyfriend?! Whossat, Eren? You shoulda told me! I'd've bought some bubbly!"

Armin and Jean both laughed at Hannes' drunken slurs. I just sunk down in my seat, pouting at the floor and distracting myself by playing with the baby.

"... It's Levi," I muttered, and Hannes' laughter ceased, his eyes widening as he leaned forward in his chair.

"That Ackerman fellow?" He exclaimed, which caused the girls to come to the doorway to see what the fuss was about. I glanced around at all of my friends watching me expectantly, and all I could do was sigh loudly. I opened my mouth to speak, but Connie chose that moment to slam open the front door, a box of beer in his hand.

"Good afternoon, fam-damily!" He greeted cheerfully, stepping inside with Sasha right behind him. "Not to worry, the life of the party has arrived!"

I'd never been so relieved to see my boisterous roommate, and I sighed in relief when the attention was drawn to him and away from me. Everyone took the opportunity to greet the newcomers and take what they'd brought to the kitchen, which was beer and a huge sack of cracker boxes, one of which Sasha was eating out of.

I remained on the couch while everybody went to the kitchen. Everyone except Hannes, who hadn't stopped staring at me open mouthed. The baby on my lap squealed, but I was frantically running through an explanation.

"Look, Hannes, I know this is probably way from left field, but... yeah. Levi is now my boyfriend, more or less."

It was so lame. I didn't feel like sharing the details of everything we'd done, as it didn't seem relevant, but I was relieved to see Hannes mulling it over.

He slowly leaned back in his chair, scratching at his cheek.

"Well, Eren," he started, and I held my breath. "If you're happy, then I have nothin' t'say about it."

I let out a huge whoosh of air, feeling a bit lighter. Besides Mikasa, Hannes was someone I respected and cared about deeply, and his opinion really mattered. "He seemed like a decent fella when I met him. Well spoken, ya know?"

I snorted loudly, and Hannes frowned.

"Wha's funny?"

"N-No, nothing. Don't worry about it."

I knew that of all things, Levi was the most crass individual I'd ever met, and could only imagine how uptight he must have been when he came here. Hannes just shrugged and took another big swig of his wine, swaying a bit as he stood.

I kept smiling as he half stumbled to the kitchen, ruffling my hair as he passed.

"Yer parents would be proud, boy." He grunted. My stomach did a flip, and I wanted to ask about that, but he was too far away by then. My pocket vibrated, and I shifted awkwardly to gently move the wiggling baby so I could fish my phone out of my pocket.

It was a text from Levi. Excitement rushed through me, and I swiped the screen lock to read it.

 **Levi** : sorry for the delay, Mr. and Mrs. Shitty glasses ambushed me this morning with festive bullshit

"Pffffft!" I laughed out loud, and started typing a reply when a large wall of laughter sounded from the kitchen. I nearly dropped my phone at the sudden noise, which caused both babies to squeal in delight.

"Oh man, that's too cute!"

"Awe, look at their faces!"

"Armin, please send me that. I need to send it to someone."

Confusion and curiosity took over, and I locked my phone screen, setting it on the coffee table before standing to go to the kitchen.

The scene that greeted me was everybody gathered around Armin, all of them smiling and looking at his phone.

"...What's so funny?" I asked, pausing in the doorway. They all looked at me, big smiles on their faces. I frowned. "What?"

They all quickly exchanged glances, snickering. Mikasa clicked her tongue, stepping out of the group and walking over to me, holding her phone screen out.

"Check out your goofy ass, Eren."

I frowned, but looked at her screen. What greeted me was a picture of Levi and I, asleep on Armin and Annie's couch, holding their babies. I felt my jaw go slack as I stared at it, and I faintly noticed the laughter falter a bit. Seeing Levi look so peaceful, without his signature scowl, holding a baby no less, made my chest and stomach tighten and flop.

"Eren...?" Mikasa asked softly, and I swallowed thickly.

"Uh, yeah," I replied dumbly, blinking and looking up at my friends who wore expressions ranging from surprise to amusement. "Yeah, uh... can you send me that?"

She smiled fondly.

"Yeah."

I heard my phone vibrate in the living room, signaling I received the text. The next half an hour or so was much teasing from everybody about how lovey-dovey I was acting, giving me just as many gagging noises as I'd given all of them at some point.

“Have you gone out much?” Sasha asked around a mouth full of food. I opened my mouth to respond but Connie cut me off. 

“No! They're so weird, they just sit there in silence while Eren does his homework,” I shrugged, more or less agreeing. “They don't even bang, unless that's quiet, too.”

“Dude, gross!”

“Ew, ugh, no!”

Mikasa and Jean were both making their disgust known, and it stirred another round of laughter. 

“Trust me, dude, you'd know if we were banging.” I waggled my eyebrows and grinned. Mikasa made a retching noise and Jean looked extremely uncomfortable. The rest of the group again laughed, though Hannes seemed to have a bit of a coughing fit. 

Food was finally done, and we all queued up to pile things on to plates. The babies had been settled into their car seats on the living room floor, dozing off after Annie had slipped out to feed them. The pleasant buzz of conversation mixed with the festive music put me at ease, and I sank back into the couch. Mikasa sat to my left, and Armin to my right. Jean was on the floor in front of Mikasa, and Annie and Sasha were in front of the fireplace. Connie and Hannes took the two chairs. Everyone was more or less in a circle around the coffee table.

I slowly realized that this would probably be the perfect time to put our plan into action.

"Hey," I started, and the talking faltered. "You guys wanna play truth or dare?"

Everybody perked up, exchanging glances and shuffling closer to the coffee table. Except Hannes, who just took a hearty swig of wine.

"Oi, Jean, can you get my hat from my bag? You're closer." I asked, hoping my tone was casual.

Jean suddenly looked a bit nervous, and I felt a little sorry for him. Armin and I exchanged a glance, seemingly in agreement that we'd do our best to help him out. I caught Connie’s eye, and he also gave a small nod. 

I felt Mikasa staring a hole into my head as everybody gathered and Jean grabbed my hat, which was good because he fumbled a bit with the box that I'd stashed in it. I saw Armin sigh and shake his head, but Annie elbowed his side. 

Jean quickly removed the ring from the box and shoved it in his pocket, putting the box back and closing my bag. 

“Here, you lazy fuck.”

I scowled to play along, catching my hat that he threw. So far, so good. Mikasa was still staring at me, but I did my best to ignore her.  
“So!” Connie exclaimed, clapping and rubbing his hands together. The sound startled Mikasa and Armin, who both jumped in their seats. “How do we decide who goes first?”

I quickly pulled a pen from my pocket, setting it on the coffee table just as Sasha put an empty beer bottle in the table. We looked at each other for a second before laughing, everyone else getting a good chuckle out of it. All of us were forcing ourselves to act super casual, and Mikasa seemed to be buying it. 

“Beer bottle it is, then!” Connie quipped, giving it a firm spin. “Whoever it lands on gets to pick who they ask.” 

We all nodded, watching as the bottle slowed and landed on Armin. He grinned, scanning all of us. 

“Hmm… Alright, Sasha, truth or dare?”

“Truth!” She answered quickly, and the game was on. 

“Alright, what did you stuff in your bag when you were in the kitchen?”

Her expression tensed, and she grimaced. I bit my lip to hide my grin, as I was sure she'd taken something really big for Armin to ask. 

“I didn't take anything, I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Aww, c’mon, Sash, he obviously saw you. Just fess up.” Connie groaned.

Turns out Sasha was trying to smuggle out an entire pie, and there was a rowdy bit of teasing for it. 

The bottle was spun a few more times, Armin was dared to sing I'm a Little Teapot in his best falsetto, Annie admitted rather personal, intimate things about her marriage, and I even got dared to kiss Hannes, much to everybody's amusement and Hannes’ discomfort. 

Finally, though, the bottle landed on Jean, and I held my breath. This was it. The moment of truth. I didn't dare look around at everybody else, because if I did, I'd blow it. I did see Jean visibly gulp, and he pretended to look us all over before settling his gaze on Mikasa. 

“Ok, babe. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” She just blinked slowly, seeming bored. Jean quickly glanced at me, and I just raised my brows in what I hoped was a sign of encouragement. His jaw clenched a few times, his face turning back to her. 

“That's lame!” he whined, and I saw her frown just slightly. 

Jackpot.

Her stubbornness was rivaled only by her extreme competitive nature, which is what we had banked on in the off chance she'd picked truth. 

“I'm just trying to spare your fragile ego.” 

I heard muffled snorts and snickers from my friends, but I was hyper focused on the situation. Jean’s expression fell from cocky to embarrassed, but his hand was in a fist by his side, fingers twitching near his pocket.  
“Oh yeah? Protect it from what?” he demanded, lifting his chin in a challenging manner. Mikasa, predictably, took the bait. As well paired as they were, neither of them liked losing.

“From your lack of creativity, you noodle.”

“Pff,” he retorted, and I had to give him credit. He was super into it. “Please. I'm a genius.”

I saw the corner of her lips twitch, and she leaned right into his personal space. 

“You couldn't come up with a dare that I wouldn't do. I'm fearless.”

I had to physically bite my tongue, and I noticed Armin doing similarly in my peripheral vision. She was so predictable, and Armin’s plan was perfect. 

“Oh yeah?” Jean asked loudly, standing and staring down at her. She glowered before also standing, hands in fists at her sides. 

“Yeah!” Her voice was rising, and nobody breathed a word. 

Jean dropped so quickly onto one knee I almost missed it entirely. I hadn't even noticed him slip the ring from his pocket until it was held in front of him. 

“Fine, I dare you to marry me!”

The only noise for the next few moments was the Christmas music in the background, but I would never forget the way Mikasa’s eyes widened so round, her mouth forming a silent ‘oh’ as her hands flew up to cover it. 

She looked a few times between Jean’s face and the sparkling ring he held out, seemingly in disbelief.

“... O-ok.” she finally whispered, and I'd never seen anybody deflate as fast as Jean did, his hands shakily sliding the ring onto her dainty finger, both of them grinning widely. 

“Now kiss!” Connie cheered from the corner, and everybody laughed, despite Jean flipping him off as he kissed his new fianceé. Everybody clapped or cheered.

“... Eren, are you crying?” I heard someone ask, and I blinked, not realizing my eyes were watery. 

“No.” I said gruffly, rubbing quickly at my eyes. I heard them laugh at me, but when I opened my eyes my vision was full of black hair. I wrapped my arms around Mikasa's waist, standing and lifting her up and spinning a few times as she laughed. 

“Eren, you shit, you knew this whole time!” She chastised as I set her down, smacking my arm lightly. I didn't bother denying it, just grinning at her as she went around the room showing off her ring. Hannes was openly weeping, blubbering congratulations and hugging Jean tightly. 

My phone vibrating on the table caught my attention, and I noticed it was a phone call. Picking it up, the screen read ‘Levi.’ I arched a brow, but slid the screen to answer it.

“Hello?” 

“EREN! WE LOVE THE PICTURE! IT'S ADORA-!”

“HANJI! Give me my phone!”

“Ack!”

Sudden screaming on the other line made me wince and hold my phone away from my ear. My friends went silent at the noise, all turned to look curiously at me. 

“Eren?” I heard Levi's voice on the other end, and I put the phone back to my ear gingerly. 

“Yes…?”

I furrowed my brows, making a shooing motion to my friends that were still staring. 

Levi sighed. 

“Sorry, this asshole took my phone when I was in the bathroom because I wouldn't give her your number.”

I huffed a small laugh, turning away from the group and walking to the kitchen to have my phone call in private. 

“That's ok,” I commented, grabbing a handful of chips and popping one in my mouth. “But what was she yelling about?” I asked around a mouthful of chips. I heard Levi scoff. 

“Eren, are you eating? That sounds disgusting.” 

I snorted, imagining his scowling face in perfect detail. 

“To be fair, _she_ called _me_ , so who's to say I wasn't the one being interrupted?”

“That's true, but did you have to add a new chip?” He didn't wait for a reply. “Whatever. She was pissing herself over that picture of us that your sister sent.” 

I paused in my chewing. 

“What picture?”

Levi sighed again. 

“Somehow, she got Erwin’s number, and sent him a picture your other friend took of us when you were babysitting.”

My eyes widened, and I shuffled back to the living room. 

“Mikasa!” I shot accusingly, and she turned, a brow arched. “When did you get Erwin Smith’s number?” She just shrugged, grinning. 

“At your last court date. I went back to the court room and got it, just in case you two dolts needed some outside help.”

Armin and Connie snickered, and I felt my face get hot. 

“Oh my God, you're so shady…” 

I was a little impressed, though. 

“Well,” Levi continued, and I slid back to the kitchen. “Since I have you on the phone, are you working next Tuesday?”

I scratched at my chin, thinking for a moment. 

“No, I think I actually have that day off, for once.”

His tone seemed to perk up a bit. 

“Would you- I mean…” he stumbled over his words, suddenly, which made me smile, and I'm sure it was hella sappy. “Oh fuck it, do you want to go on a date with me?”


End file.
